Witnesses link Munir murder to ex-Garuda boss<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former Garuda Indonesia president director Indra Setiawan had
\ngiven a special assignment to pilot Pollycarpus Budihari
\nPriyanto, who is charged with murdering noted human rights
\nactivist Munir last year, two executives of the company testified
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
Rohaini Aini, a flight operations support officer for Garuda's
\nAirbus A-330 division, said she had assigned Pollycarpus as an
\nextra crew member on board the GA-974 flight to Schipol, the
\nNetherlands, via Singapore, on Sept. 6, 2004, at the orders of
\nIndra.<\/p>\n
Munir was found dead on board the plane a day later. A Dutch
\nautopsy revealed that he had been poisoned by arsenic.<\/p>\n
\"On Sept. 6, 2004, I found a note on my desk. The note, which
\nwas signed by Indra Setiawan, said that Pollycarpus was had been
\nassigned as a corporate security officer on board the GA-974
\nflight,\" Rohaini told the Central Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
Later in the afternoon, she added, the defendant confirmed he
\nwould be aboard the flight.<\/p>\n
Rohaini said Pollycarpus had earlier canceled a planned trip
\nto Beijing on Aug. 31, 2004, as he wanted to attend a meeting of
\nthe pilots association on Sept. 7.<\/p>\n
However, she added, the defendant later suddenly notified her
\nthat he would fly to Singapore on Sept. 6.<\/p>\n
Rohaini admitted she changed the arrangements without the
\napproval of her superior, Karmal Fauza Sembiring, because the
\ndefendant told her that Garuda's corporate security director
\nRamelgia Anwar would inform Karmal later.<\/p>\n
Also testifying during Tuesday hearing, Garuda chief pilot
\nKarmal confirmed this, but denied knowing about Pollycarpus'
\nassignment as an extra crew member aboard Munir's flight, saying
\nthat he had been in Beijing on official business at the time.<\/p>\n
\"I received a note from Pak Ramelgia informing me about the
\ndefendant's special assignment a few days after Munir's death,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Asked by presiding judge Cicut Sutiarso about the reasons for
\nthe assigning of the defendant to the Singapore, Karmal said; \"I
\ndon't know\".<\/p>\n
Karmal said he had told Rohaini that the change in
\nPollycarpus' travel arrangements was against official company
\nprocedures.<\/p>\n
Outside the courtroom, scores of activists and victims of
\nhuman right abuses staged a demonstration, demanding that the
\nmasterminds behind Munir's murder be arrested.<\/p>\n
\"The court should not hide behind Pollycarpus, who was just
\nthe field operative. You and the prosecution must seek out the
\nmasterminds behind the assassination,\" shouted one protester.<\/p>\n
A fact-finding team formed by the government has linked the
\nmurder to certain officers of the State Intelligence Agency
\n(BIN), but the prosecution did not mention them in the
\nindictment.<\/p>\n
According to the team, Pollycarpus was a member of BIN.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/witnesses-link-munir-murder-to-ex-garuda-boss-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }