Jakarta Spy Agency Linked To Murder

FRESH evidence ties Indonesias intelligence agency to the poisoning of leading human rights activist Thalib Munir, indicating top officials lied to court hearings over the 2004 murder.

Human rights groups have described a new dossier of evidence from a senior undercover agent, tendered to a hearing in Jakarta, as a "smoking gun". Today they will demand that police prosecute the former deputy director for covert operations, Purwoprandjono Muchdi, for perjury and murder.

In the sworn declaration, agent Budi Santoso says he helped off-duty Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto draft a letter to the head of the national airline ordering that he be assigned to security duties. The letter enabled Pollycarpus to board a flight to Amsterdam with Mr Munir, then allegedly poisoned him.

The assignment letter was to be signed by intelligence agency BINs deputy chief, according to Agent Santoso. He said Pollycarpus was part of the agencys "network" and in regular contact with Mr Muchdi.

"I was often ordered by Muchdi to check on where Pollycarpus was," said Agent Santoso, who was then an operations director with the agency. He also delivered several thousand dollars from Mr Muchdi to Pollycarpus before and after Mr Munirs murder.

In previous court hearings, Pollycarpus and Mr Muchdi denied knowing each other. Phone records show 41 calls between the pair around the time of the murder, but Mr Muchdi claimed others were using his phone.

The agencys chief, Syamsir Siregar, has written to prosecutors, saying Agent Santoso could not appear in court as he was on "state duty" overseas. He is believed to be involved in intelligence operations in Pakistan. Agent Santosos statement was produced only after judges in the murder trial — who are considering fresh charges against Pollycarpus and Garudas former head Indra Setiawan — suggested they would force him to appear.

Usman Hamid, head of Mr Munirs human rights organisation Kontras, said he would meet senior police officers today to demand action on the new evidence. "Before now BIN denied having links to Pollycarpus. This disproves that," Mr Hamid said. "Mr Muchdi should be summonsed and charged. He clearly had a role in planning the premeditated murder of Munir."

The about-face by the agency was a result of pressure from police and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he said.

Mr Munir had angered the intelligence and military establishment by exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Aceh and Papua. Flying to Amsterdam in September 2004, he was befriended by Pollycarpus, who gave him his business-class seat. In transit in Singapore, the pair went to an airport coffee shop where forensic tests have established arsenic was slipped into Mr Munirs drink. He died in agony on the flight several hours later.

Tag Cloud

External Information

Additional Information

Where Am I?