Govt to form joint team to probe Freeport ambush<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government will likely establish a joint investigative
\nteam to probe the Aug. 31 fatal ambush in Timika, which claimed
\nthe lives of two American teachers and one Indonesian, as the
\npolice and the military have submitted contradictory reports on
\ntheir investigations.<\/p>\n
Several military top brass and high-ranking police officers
\nheld a closed-door meeting on Sunday at the offices of the
\ncoordinating minister for political and security affairs to
\ndiscuss the results of their separate investigations.<\/p>\n
Representatives from both the military and police
\ninvestigative teams presented all evidence they collected or
\nfound on site, but they could not decide on who was responsible
\nfor the attack at the mining site operated by American-owned PT
\nFreeport Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The meeting also failed to decide on the motives behind the
\nattack.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
\nSjamsoeddin said Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
\nAffairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, TNI chief Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar would
\ndiscuss the matter with President Megawati Soekarnoputri on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
\"All decisions regarding a further investigation will be
\ndecided then,\" Sjafrie said after the meeting.<\/p>\n
A source at the meeting said that if a joint investigative
\nteam was formed, it would not include officers from abroad, such
\nas agents from the U.S. Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI).<\/p>\n
The U.S. administration has asked for the establishment of a
\nBali-style joint investigative team so that FBI agents would be
\nallowed to participate.<\/p>\n
\"If the FBI insists on joining us, they could just provide
\ntechnical assistance,\" the source told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Attending the meeting were, among others, Army chief Gen.
\nRyamizard Ryacudu, Navy chief Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh, TNI's
\nStrategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) chief Vice Marshal Ian
\nSantoso, TNI chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago,
\nNational Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. M.A. Erwin
\nMappaseng and National Military Police Commander Maj. Gen.
\nSulaiman AB.<\/p>\n
According to one source at the meeting, National Military
\nPolice Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Hendardji reported that they
\nhad found some 90 bullet cases at the site. Shots were believed
\nto have been made from several spots in the jungle near the
\nlocation.<\/p>\n
\"Nevertheless, Hendardji did not mention any names or groups
\nthat are responsible for the ambush,\" the source told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Hendardji was assigned to Papua on Dec. 23 to conduct a
\nthorough investigation into the ambush amid conflicting
\nconclusions that resulted from the local military and police
\ninvestigative teams.<\/p>\n
The police disclosed that they had found evidence linking the
\nArmy to the deadly ambush.<\/p>\n
TNI, however, has rejected the accusation and pointed a finger
\nat the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-form-joint-team-to-probe-freeport-ambush-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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