The National Police said Monday it had identified a group of elite based in Jakarta who was responsible for planning and financing the violent rally in Medan last week that led to the death of North Sumatra legislative council chairman Aziz Angkat.

Aziz died of a heart attack on Tuesday, allegedly caused by beatings and trampling by protestors who demanded the establishment of a new administrative province in Tapanuli Province.

"There was a national figure involved," Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira told reporters in Jakarta.

Abubakar said a total of 105 people had been questioned on the case and 36 of them later named suspects. More people would be questioned in relation to the violent rally, including the owner of Suara Indonesia Baru daily, G. M. Panggabean. "He will be questioned as a witness," Abubakar said.

The newspaper owner is the father of Chandra Panggabean, a leader in a civil society group that proposed the establishment of a new province in Tapanuli. Chandra has been named suspect not long after the violent rally.

G.M. Panggabean is suspected of participating in funding the rally. Those directly involved in the rally said that they were paid Rp 25,000 each.