WikiLeaks US Cables Point to BIN Role in Munir Murder
Nurfika Osman
Recently leaked US diplomatic cables about the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib could help authorities uncover the truth and implicate the real perpetrators, activists said on Friday.
"The cables convinced us further that top-level officials of the State Intelligence Agency [BIN] were involved in the murder," said Al Araf, program director of human rights group Imparsial.
"Then-Chief of National Police Sutanto allegedly knew about the BIN involvement but he was lacking evidence to implicate its officials. Now, after the cables were made public, we encourage Sutanto to testify in the court."
The Indonesian courts have tried former BIN deputy chairman Muchdi Purwoprandjono for ordering the murder, but the retired Army general was acquitted of all charges due to a lack of evidence. Prosecutors' appeals against the acquittal have been unsuccessful.
"To make the case go to trial again, prosecutors should request a case review at the Supreme Court. When the court hearing in the case resumes, Sutanto can testify," Al Araf said.
The cables, released by WikiLeaks, alleged that former BIN chief Hendropriyono "chaired two meetings at which Munir's assassination was planned" and a witness at those meetings told police that "only the time and method of the murder changed from the plans he heard discussed; original plans were to kill Munir in his office."
Al Araf said that before trying Hendropriyono, authorities should focus on Muchdi.
"First things first. Prosecutors need to resume the trial against Muchdi by asking for a case review and then we can move to other possible high-profile suspects, including Hendropriyono," he said.
The fate of the legal proceedings in the murder case rests with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said Haris Azhar, the coordinator of the nongovernmental Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).
"If the president leaves the case unnoticed, then the attorney general will never ask for a case review against Muchdi's acquittal," Haris said.
Munir was poisoned in September 2004 as he flew from Jakarta to Amsterdam. Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a former Garuda Indonesia pilot, has been convicted of putting a fatal dose of arsenic into his drink.
Prosecutors have accused Muchdi of ordering the killing out of anger over Munir's criticisms of his leadership of the Army's Special Forces unit (Kopassus).
Posted by: "Sunny" <ambon@tele2.se>
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