Jakarta – Suciawati has waited for months for some good news regarding the ongoing inquest into her husband's alleged murder – until the AGO on Friday provided a glimmer of hope.
Suciawati was married to Munir Said Thalib, the famous human rights activist allegedly poisoned almost three years ago while flying from Jakarta to the Netherlands aboard an Indonesian airplane.
The case has been in and out of court, but Munir's widow was assured Friday the Attorney General's Office has strong evidence to win a case review. Accompanied by Usman Hamid of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Suciawati told reporters after a meeting with Attorney General Hendarman Supandji on Friday they were optimistic of the case review, which is against former Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto.
Usman said, "The Attorney General has given us a very comprehensive explanation about the case review, although he didn't give us a copy of the dossier".
"He also told us that the case review won't be AGO's last effort," he said. "The AGO will continue its effort by pursuing other names mentioned in the new evidence. "The next effort is to pursue the new names (mentioned), which are from Garuda and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN)."
The AGO, which submitted the case review to the Central Jakarta District Court last week, has repeatedly said Pollycarpus was involved in Munir's murder. The AGO has demanded a review of the Supreme Court ruling that exonerated Pollycarpus.
The Garuda employee was sentenced to 14 years in jail by the Central Jakarta District Court in December 2005 for the murder of Munir, but the Supreme Court overruled the verdict on October 2006.
Pollycarpus was instead sentenced to two years in jail for forging a letter allowing him to be an aviation security officer. He was freed in December 2006.
Usman said the new evidence included testimony from a witness who saw Pollycarpus buy a drink for Munir, along with testimonies from Garuda Indonesia employees who have indicated a conspiracy.
"Garuda did not do it on its own initiative," Usman said. "There was an outside party who requested it."
He said the AGO had up to five witnesses as well as facts that would support the case review. "The evidence is strong enough," Usman said.
Former Garuda chairman Indra Setiawan, secretary to Garuda's chief pilot Rohainil Aini and Raymond "Ongen" Latuihamalo have been reportedly included as witnesses in the case review.
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji told reporters that although some new evidence had already been reported by the mass media, there was other evidence he would not reveal.
Usman said the AGO's aim was to find Munir's murderer and to uncover exactly how the murder was executed. Suciwati said she was relieved the AGO was committed to her husband's case and that the office would continue to follow the case until justice was done. She said she thought the police should also continue to monitor her husband's case.
Munir died of arsenic poisoning in September 2004 while aboard a Garuda flight traveling from Jakarta to the Netherlands. The plane made a stop at Changi Airport in Singapore, where Munir was seen with a man at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf cafe.
Ongen, the witness who saw Munir with the man, said he could not confirm the man was Pollycarpus. The police have long suspected the cafe was where Munir was poisoned.