Jakarta – Court hearings on Tuesday around the murder of human rights activist Munir have uncovered irregularities surrounding the deployment of off-duty pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto as an aviation security investigator.

Testifying in the trial of former Garuda Indonesia chief Indra Setiawan on charges of conspiracy for premeditated murder at the Central Jakarta District Court, Pollycarpus repeated he was "personally intrigued about going to Singapore".

"I felt compelled to volunteer for the aviation security investigation going on in Singapore after a briefing with Ramelgia Anwar," Pollycarpus told the court.

He was listed as an extra crew member on the same flight with Munir on the day of the activist's death, September 6, 2004. His listing was on the basis of a note of transfer issued by Rohainil Aini, who was recently charged with conspiracy for premeditated murder.

Rohainil signed the letter of transfer on behalf of Chief Pilot Karmel Sembiring, without confirming it with the captain or the deputy, adding to the many "common practices" being reported by the witnesses.

Pollycarpus said, "The purpose of my flight to Singapore was to meet with an official to gather information and documents needed to investigate (an) earlier (case)".

In a previous court hearing during Indra's trial, Ramelgia told the court Garuda's Singapore management had informed him no such a meeting had taken place.

Indra said before leaving on an assignment to another country, a pilot was required to have a letter signed by the president director and managers.

The letter, he said, was illicitly issued and signed by Ramelgia Anwar after Pollycarpus returned, in an attempt to make the trip appear authorized. "Pollycarpus was on a personal trip, using facilities provided by the office," Indra said.

He also said he fired Ramelgia from his job as the vice president of a corporate security unit after Ramelgia issued the letter for Polycarpus.

In the first session of Rohainil's trial, held on the same day and at the same court, Indra said he appointed Pollycarpus to assist in Garuda's corporate security unit after Pollycarpus handed him a letter from the State Intelligence Agency at Sahid Hotel in July 2004.

Indra said the letter advised Garuda Indonesia to "assign Pollycarpus as part of the corporation security unit in order to improve the company's safety".

Pollycarpus, however, denied any meetings or conversations with Indra prior to his trip to Singapore.

Recently, during a review hearing on the Supreme Court's acquittal of Pollycarpus of charges relating to the Munir case, prosecutors introduced new evidence in the form of a recorded telephone conversation between Pollycarpus and Indra, in which the name of the chief justice was mentioned.

Before the first session ended, Judge Makasau said the court planned to hear the same evidence in the following trial for Rohainil Aini next Wednesday. (lva)