Chief of the Kutai Kartanegara police resort Adj. Snr. Comr. I Gusti KB Harryarsana said on Monday two of the witnesses were employees of PT Bukaka Teknik Utama, the bridge`s maintenance contractor.
"Until today (Monday) we have questioned 34 people in connection with the collapse of Kartanegara bridge and two of them were employees of PT Bukaka," he said.
He added however that police had yet to come to the conclusion as to whether an act of negligence might cause the collapse of the bridge.
"We are still continuing the investigation process. If there is strong evidence of negligence, it is not impossible we will conduct further investigation," he said.
But he did not elaborate on the reasons why PT Buka Director Sofiah Balfas did not show up at the police station for questioning on Monday.
"If he did not show up after receiving a first summons, we will serve a second summons on him and if he still did not show up after receiving the second summons we will serve a third summons on him," he said.
Earlier, on Sunday, spokesman of the Kutai Kartanegara district police resort Adj. Comr. Nyoman Subrata said police had served a summons on Sofiah Balfas in connection with the collapse of the bridge.
The 700-m long bridge over the Mahakam river in East Kalimantan province collapsed at 4.30 pm last Saturday causing a number of vehicles to fall into the river.
At least 21 people were killed and 16 others were missing after the country`s longest suspended bridge collapsed.
To reveal the causes behind the accident which also injured tens of people, the government was urged to set up an independent team of experts that could work professionally and determine the causes of the tragedy.
"Certain parties should be held responsible for the collapse of the bridge and in this case the government should set up an independent team to investigate it," Malkan Amin of the House Commission V on transportation affairs said last Wednesday.
The names of several companies have been mentioned in the media as having participated in the bridge`s construction. PT Perencana Jaya was said to have served as consultant on the project, PT Hutama Karya as the main contractor and PT Bukaka Teknik Utama as provider of maintenance services.
(Uu.S012/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
