Garuda delays Munir probe<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The investigation into the murder of top human rights
\ncampaigner Munir suffered another setback as national carrier
\nGaruda Indonesia canceled a scheduled preliminary reconstruction
\nof the case.<\/p>\n
Head of the government-sanctioned fact finding team Brig. Gen.
\nMarsudi Hanafi told reporters on Wednesday that he was
\ndisappointed with the cancellation.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Pranowo (Director of Transnational Security Brig. Gen.
\nPranowo who is in charge of the investigation into the murder
\ncase) told me that Garuda Indonesian had canceled the
\nreconstruction which was supposed to be held last night (Tuesday
\nnight) because several of its cabin crews were on duty,\" Marsudi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"This is impossible. Why were the cabin crew not ready since
\nwe told them (Garuda officials) about the reconstruction three
\nweeks ago. There should have been enough time to replace the crew
\nif they had been on duty at that time,\" Marsudi added.<\/p>\n
He added that the fact-finding team would send a letter to
\nGaruda to question the cancellation.<\/p>\n
The investigating team from the police and the fact-finding
\nteam have agreed that a preliminary reconstruction of Munir's
\ndeath would probably be able to give them some answers to
\nquestions surrounding the mysterious death of Munir, founder of
\nhuman rights organizations Kontras and Imparsial, who had been a
\nstrong critic of past human rights violations particularly by
\nmilitary officers.<\/p>\n
Munir died of arsenic poisoning on board a Garuda flight from
\nJakarta to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004.<\/p>\n
The preliminary reconstruction would be held on the ground at
\nthe Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta but it would
\nuse the same Garuda plane GA-974 and the same cabin crew who flew
\nto Amsterdam on that fateful day.<\/p>\n
Separately, Edwin Partogi of Kontras echoed Marsudi's view
\nabout the reconstruction cancellation.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by Munir's wife Suciwati, Edwin said that he would
\nask the fact-finding team to force Garuda officials to carry out
\nthe preliminary reconstruction since Garuda seemed reluctant to
\ndo it and since the investigation had been moving at a snail's
\npace without any suspect having been named yet.<\/p>\n
Apart from the reconstruction, Marsudi also revealed that a
\nteam from the police had arrived in the Netherlands to question
\nEmilie Lie Swan Gie, an Indonesian passenger currently seeking
\nmedical treatment in the country, who sat near Munir on the
\nGaruda flight.<\/p>\n
\"Tomorrow the team will leave for Frankfurt to question an
\nIndonesian student who is currently studying at a university in
\nMunich,\" Marsudi said.<\/p>\n
The student, named Asiri, was also on the same flight with
\nMunir and probably would have important information to share with
\nthe police.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/garuda-delays-munir-probe-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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