Military denies servicemen involved in Freeport case<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto denied
\non Monday the alleged role of military officers in the Freeport
\nshooting incident in Papua but admitted that some servicemen were
\ninvolved in the murder of Papua proindependence leader Theys Hiyo
\nEluay.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a media briefing at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap,
\nEast Jakarta, Endriartono said that he had asked the chief of
\nMilitary Police (Puspom) to meet the Irian Jaya Police chief to
\nclear the military's name in the ambush on a convoy of Freeport
\nemployees in August.<\/p>\n
\"The police do not have any evidence of military involvement
\nand the witness who accused Capt. Markus of being involved in the
\nincident cannot prove his account,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Two Americans and an Indonesian were killed and 12 others
\ninjured in the incident near Freeport's gold and copper mining
\nsite.<\/p>\n
Around 15 gunmen, whose identities and whereabouts remain
\nunknown, attacked two buses carrying teachers from the
\nTembagapura International School.<\/p>\n
Washington Post quoted Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. I Made
\nMangku Pastika on Sunday that he had told Military Police
\nCommander Maj. Gen. Sulaiman AB and another high-ranking army
\nofficer who visited Papua about a week ago that the police
\nsuspect Army soldiers carried out the attack.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said that the witness was confused when he
\ndiscovered that the man he presumed was Army officer Markus
\nduring the attack was in fact an officer who was studying in
\nBandung.<\/p>\n
The TNI chief, however, said the investigation was still
\nongoing and he would rely on the judiciary to determine the
\nperpetrators of the attack.<\/p>\n
\"We will also sue Elsham for its false accusation. They have
\ntainted the image of TNI by spreading baseless accusations,\"
\nEndriartono said.<\/p>\n
Endriartono was referring to the Papuan Institute for Human
\nRights and Advocacy Study which said in September that it had
\nwitnesses to prove that the military was involved in the Freeport
\nincident.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said that six servicemen were about to face a
\nmilitary tribunal, on charges of killing Papuan proindependence
\nleader Theys Hiyo Eluay.<\/p>\n
\"I admit that my men were involved in the case but I'm
\nconsistent in my stance that we should enforce the law. Whosoever
\nviolates the law should be punished regardless his title and
\nposition,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said that although the investigation and the
\ndossiers had been completed, he did not know about the motive of
\nthe crime.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the National Military Police revealed that the six
\nsuspects were from the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus).<\/p>\n
Three of the suspects include three middle ranking officers,
\nLt. Col. Hartomo, Maj. Doni Hutabarat and Capt. Rionaldo. The
\nother three are non-commissioned officers.<\/p>\n
The suspects are charged with committing murder, and may face
\na maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n
Theys was found dead after he was reportedly abducted by
\nunknown armed men on his way home from a function held at the
\nlocal headquarters of Kopassus in November last year.<\/p>\n
Theys' driver, Aristoteles, is still missing and is presumed
\ndead.<\/p>\n
In a bid to unravel the murder, the National Military Police
\nhas interviewed a total of 109 witnesses, 40 of whom are military
\nofficers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/military-denies-servicemen-involved-in-freeport-case-1447893297",
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