Abdul Khalik and Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Police say they will go after other people allegedly involved in the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib after finishing their investigation of former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi Purwoprandjono.
"Right now, we are concentrating on finishing the case file of Pak Muchdi. After submitting the file to prosecutors, we will continue with other people if we have preliminary evidence," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He refused to provide names but said police had strong evidence that Muchdi worked with off-duty Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto to kill Munir on his way to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004. "We have hard evidence that he (Muchdi) knew Pollycarpus, and both of them worked together to kill Munir," he said.
Abubakar said police had records of conversations between the retired two-star general and Pollycarpus, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for poisoning Munir.
BIN agent Budi Santoso also testified that both Muchdi and Pollycarpus had intensive contacts, saying he was ordered by Muchdi to deliver Rp 10 million (US$1,081) to the Garuda pilot prior to the murder.
Muchdi, through his lawyers, has denied all the accusations, insisting he did not know Pollycarpus or give him money.
A member of the now-defunct fact-finding team for the Munir case, Hendardi, said the most important thing for the police now was to prove Muchdi's involvement in the murder before implicating others. "Muchdi is the entry point for the police to solve the case and net other BIN officials," he said.
Public pressure for the police to investigate other BIN leaders has increased, with many people believing Muchdi did not act alone. Lawmakers have demanded that police summon A.M. Hendropriyono, who led BIN at the time of the murder, and M. As'ad, a former BIN deputy chief.
Soeripto, deputy chief of the House of Representatives' Commission III for legal affairs, who is also a former BIN officer, alleged the Munir murder was planned at an internal BIN meeting in 2004. Hendropriyono has repeatedly dismissed allegations he played a role in the murder.
A police source said As'ad could also be implicated in the murder case as he allegedly signed a BIN letter assigning Pollycarpus as a security officer on the flight on which Munir was poisoned.
BIN chief Syamsir Siregar asked the police to prove the agency had issued such a letter. "I have never seen the letter. If there is such a letter, prove it," he said at the Presidential Office on Monday.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a closed-door meeting with the BIN chief, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Djoko Santoso and Coordinating Minister for Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto.
State Secretary Hatta Radjasa denied the meeting discussed the Munir case. He reaffirmed the President had instructed law enforcers to continue investigating the murder until all those involved had been identified and brought to justice.
"The President demands this case be completely solved, justly and transparently. He will not intervene, allowing law enforcers to do their job."