Al-Ghozi autopsy does not prove malfeasance

Al-Ghozi autopsy does not prove malfeasance

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Philippine authorities have treated the body of terrorist
suspect and fugitive Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi in such a way that it
is impossible for anyone to determine the cause of his death, a
forensic doctor says.

Munim Idris, a forensic expert from the state-owned University
of Indonesia (UI), shared on Tuesday the results of the autopsy
he performed on Al-Ghozi last week, following the suspicions of
his family that he was murdered by the Philippine security force.

Munim said the deceased had been shot three times, twice in
his chest and once in his left hand. He also suspected that there
had been an attempt to erase evidence from the body.

Philippine authorities have said that Al-Ghozi was killed
during a shoot-out with military personnel in the Southern
Philippines.

"I could not determine the time of death because the body was
preserved with embalming fluid," he said, adding that the fluid
absolutely ruined the autopsy.

However, he managed to determine that Al-Ghozi was killed
around two hours after taking a meal.

Similarly, he could not determine the angle of the bullet's
penetration nor the shooting range because the gunshot wounds had
been stitched up and he found no trace of gunpowder.

He found it odd that the gunshot wounds were sewn so
carefully.

"If you just want to close the wounds for burial you don't
need such complex work. One would simply stitch them," he said.

Mahendradatta, a member of the Muslim Lawyer Team (TPM), told
reporters that the stitches at the point of entry of the gunshot
wounds could indicate that some kind of an autopsy had already
been done.

"However, in Al-Ghozi's certificate of death, issued by the
Philippines, there is no statement that anyone has conducted an
autopsy," said the lawyer.

He said that he would urge the government to investigate the
case and take it over from the Philippines.

"Despite the fact that he was a convict, an Indonesian citizen
has died unnaturally abroad. What is the government's response?"
he demanded.

The official account from the Philippine authorities states
that Al-Ghozi was killed on Oct. 12 in a shoot-out during a raid
launched by security forces near the town of Pigkawayan, North
Cotabato province, in the Southern Philippines.

Al-Ghozi, said to be one of the Jamaah Islamiyah's top
operatives, was sentenced to 17 years in jail in Manila last year
for illegal possession of explosives. He had escaped from prison
in June and was on the run before he was killed.

The body of Al-Ghozi arrived in Surabaya, East Java, on the
night of Oct. 17, and was immediately transported to Mojorejo
subdistrict in Madiun for burial.

However, the burial which had been planned for the next
morning was delayed after Al-Ghozi's family consulted with
members of TPM, who considered that an autopsy was needed to
determine the cause of Al-Ghozi's death.