Ex-badminton star's lawyer demands apology from police

Thursday, February 01, 2007
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city police have arrested seven men -- including a man who was wrongly identified as a former national shuttler -- for allegedly trading counterfeit money, and confiscated US$50,000 in fake bills.

Ade Candra, whose name is similar to the name of the former All England champion, and his two friends were arrested Sunday when they were about to make a transaction at a swimming pool in the Alfa Indah housing complex in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, Kembangan Police chief Comr. Haris Yulianto told a press conference Tuesday.

The other four suspects were arrested later on Sunday.

In the press briefing Tuesday, Haris identified Ade Candra as a 1978 All England champion.

On Wednesday, Lubis, Santosa & Maulana Law Office -- representing former national shuttler Ade Chandra -- sent a letter to police, demanding the error be cleared up.

"Police should have checked with the family and the badminton community before jumping to a conclusion. That's not too much to ask. Ade Chandra and his family were shocked and felt publicly humiliated by the report. The badminton community was also humiliated," lawyer T. Mulya Lubis told The Jakarta Post.

"Police should act like gentlemen and explain to the public that they made a mistake and apologize to Ade Chandra and his family. But I don't see that.

"We are yet to take any legal action but reserve the right to sue," he said.

Before police held the press conference Tuesday, Pos Kota newspaper had run a story about the case, quoting police as saying that one of the suspects was Ade Chandra, the former badminton champion.

A few hours after the press conference, the national shuttler, accompanied by his lawyer, held a press conference, saying police had wrongly identified the suspect.

They demanded that Pos Kota have its editors write a note of apology and run it in their newspaper, as well as in Kompas and Suara Pembaruan newspapers, within a week.

Lubis said the veteran champion had a strong alibi of playing golf with his son and another friend when the arrest happened.

"I noticed this morning that Pos Kota editors made the correction in their own paper, which means they have good will. But I regret the police have not yet admitted their mistake," Lubis told the Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Ade Candra, now 55, and Christian Hadinata won the men's doubles title at the All England Championship in 1972. The then country's top men's doubles player also won the men's doubles title in the demonstration sport at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich after defeating Ng Boon Bee and P. Gunalan of Malaysia. (02)