Ex-BIN chief snubs team investigating Munir case<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With just two weeks left of its mandate, a government-sanctioned
\nfact-finding team remains unable to speak with former National
\nIntelligence Body (BIN) chief A.M. Hendropriyono over possible
\nlinks between the body and the poisoning death of rights activist
\nMunir last September.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono failed to turn up for a scheduled meeting with
\nthe team at the Jakarta office of the National Commission on
\nViolence Against Women on Monday, citing unspecified business out
\nof town.<\/p>\n
His lawyer, Sjamsu Djalal, said his client wanted to cooperate
\nwith the team, provided that any summons from the team was
\nconveyed \"in accordance with procedures\".<\/p>\n
Sjamsu submitted on Monday a letter from Hendropriyono to the
\nteam informing it of his unavailability to answer questions.<\/p>\n
The lawyer, a former chief of the Military Police, said
\nHendropriyono had some objections to the way the team summoned
\nhim, which he called \"non-procedural and unprofessional\".<\/p>\n
\"The team must pay attention to the protocol of cooperation it
\nsigned with BIN. The team should not have told the press they
\nwould chase after him (Hendropriyono) to the United States.<\/p>\n
\"He also objects to the terms 'summons' or 'questioning', as
\npeople could get the impression that he is a suspect. That is
\ndefamation,\" Sjamsu told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He told the fact-finding team to come up with a more
\n\"professional, polite and fair\" invitation, which he said would
\nrequire the team to coordinate with BIN.<\/p>\n
Hendropriyono has filed a police report accusing the fact-
\nfinding team of defamation.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono set up the fact-finding
\nteam on Dec. 23 to help the police investigate the death of
\nMunir, who died aboard a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam.
\nDutch authorities performed an autopsy on Munir and found
\nexcessive levels of arsenic in his system.<\/p>\n
Police have named three Garuda employees as suspects in the
\ncase, but the team has said that it has also uncovered
\nindications of BIN's involvement in the case.<\/p>\n
The President extended the team's mandate until June 23 and
\nhas asked BIN to cooperate with its members.<\/p>\n
The head of the team, Brig. Gen. Marsudi Hanafi, said his
\nteam had summoned Hendropriyono as properly and politely as
\npossible.<\/p>\n
Marsudi also questioned Hendropriyono's suggestion the team
\nconsult with BIN before questioning him.<\/p>\n
\"If he is still part of BIN, we would include him in the
\nprotocol of cooperation signed with BIN. But if not, then a
\nregular invitation is sufficient. We asked his lawyer about this
\nbut did not receive a response,\" Marsudi said.<\/p>\n
Several other former and current BIN officials have refused to
\nrespond to summons from the team for questioning, despite the
\nprotocol agreement signed by the team and current BIN chief
\nSyamsir Siregar, which should allow the team to summon officials
\nand access important documents.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ex-bin-chief-snubs-team-investigating-munir-case-1447893297",
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