E. Timor probe continues past deadline<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office has indicated that
\nit will continue its probe into the East Timor violence despite
\nfailing to meet Tuesday's deadline for the six-month
\ninvestigation, which according to law should now be halted.<\/p>\n
Secretary to the joint team investigating the case, Umar, said
\nthat although the team had succeeded in gathering a multitude of
\nevidence, the main shortcoming was the fact that the team had
\nfailed to get the testimonies of six militia leaders included on
\nthe list of 23 suspects.<\/p>\n
\"The investigation should have been over today, Oct. 17,
\nexactly six months after the team was formed in April. The law
\nstipulates a three-month term that can be extended once. We have
\nalready used up the extension,\" Umar, a prosecutor at the
\nAttorney General's Office, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Article 13 of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 1\/1999
\non a human rights tribunal stipulates that the investigation
\nshould be halted if the deadline is not met.<\/p>\n
The investigation, according to the law, can only continue if
\ninvestigators can present new evidence.<\/p>\n
According to Umar, members of the team are currently in
\nKupang, East Nusa Tenggara, to question the six suspects.
\nHowever, it is believed that they will return empty-handed as the
\nwhereabouts of the six in question are not known.<\/p>\n
The team left for Kupang after the six failed to respond to
\nseveral summons for questioning in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
But local officials in Kupang said the six had left for
\nJakarta, either on the Dobonsolo ferry on Oct. 10 or had flown to
\nJakarta on Oct. 12.<\/p>\n
The six -- Izidio Manek, Alivio Mau, Martinus Bere, Vasco da
\nCruz, Motornus and Manuel Sausa -- were reportedly accompanied by
\nseveral lawyers from the Kupang chapter of the Indonesian Lawyers
\nAssociation (IPHI).<\/p>\n
\"However, until today, the six have yet to appear at the
\nAttorney General's Office,\" Attorney General's Office spokesman
\nAntasari Azhar said.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office has named 23 people as suspects
\nof human rights abuses during last year's violence in the former
\nIndonesian province of East Timor.<\/p>\n
The joint team investigating the case consists of prosecutors,
\npolice, military police and officials of the home affairs
\nministry. The joint team is also aided by a team of experts on
\nhuman rights.<\/p>\n
Members of the team would not speculate on the future of the
\ninvestigation or the fact that continuing the probe past the
\ndeadline is in violation of the government regulation.<\/p>\n
The head of the team of experts, law professor Sri Soemantri,
\nsaid despite not meeting the deadline, the team's work could not
\nbe considered a failure as this was the first such probe in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"Although the team was established in April, it will still
\nneed time afterward to learn what and how to investigate human
\nrights cases,\" he told the Post on Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n
\"We can see all the difficulties the team has had to face
\nduring the investigation,\" he added<\/p>\n
Umar further argued that the six-month term given the team was
\ninsufficient and hoped that the law on a human rights tribunal,
\nexpected to be endorsed in early November, would expand the term.<\/p>\n
\"We don't think the investigation should be stopped as we have
\nstarted evaluating the case and are compiling the dossiers,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
According to the regulation, after six months the joint
\ninvestigative team should hand the dossiers over to the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office. (bby)<\/p>",
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