BIN involved in killing Munir: Team

BIN involved in killing Munir: Team

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After having strong suspicions of the role of the National
Intelligence Agency (BIN) in the poisoning of rights activist
Munir, a government-sanctioned fact finding team concluded
earlier this week that the agency was involved, according to its
report to the President.

"BIN is believed to have been involved in a conspiracy to
murder Munir," the team's deputy chairman Asmara Nababan stated
on Wednesday on the sidelines of a closed-door meeting to prepare
the report.

The report, however, did not definitively state that BIN
committed an institutional crime, nor did it state how deeply BIN
individuals were involved. In addition they did not find a clear
motive behind the murder, mostly because of the agency's
reluctance to give the team complete access to certain relevant
documents and its arms warehouse.

"We've kept the names of the suspects in our pocket, but we
can't determine how far they contributed to the murder," Asmara
said.

In its report set for submission to President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono on Thursday, there is the suggestion for the President
to order the police to launch a full investigation of some BIN
officials, who were in charge when Munir died last September.

The team, whose mandate expires on Thursday, was formed by the
President to help the police investigate the case.

A source said the role of each BIN official in the murder was
described in the nearly 100-page report, including who played
which roles, such as the mastermind and the final executioner.

Another team member, Munarman, hinted that the team would
recommend police investigate former BIN chief A.M. Hendropriyono,
who previously refused to respond to the team's three summonses.

"I can assure (you) that one of them is a person who strongly
reacted to our findings and recently concluded a 'political road
show' to approach the legislators," said Munarman, who also heads
the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

Hendropriyono met with a group of House legislators -- who are
currently discussing the Munir case as well -- for a second time
on Tuesday. The fact finding team declined an invitation to the
meeting. The meeting was intended to give the team members a
chance to seek Hendropriyono's clarification, which had eluded
them.

Hendropriyono has filed a report with the police against two
of the team members for defamation.

In its report, the team also criticizes the police for its
poor performance in handling the case, prompting the team to ask
the President to establish a supervisory team to ensure the
police seriously deal with the case.

"We have learned that the police failed to raise key questions
during the questioning of witnesses, including Muchdi," Asmara
said, referring to former deputy BIN chief Muchdi PR.