Delay expected for Theys' murder trial
Delay expected for Theys' murder trial
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The trial of nine members of the Army's special force
(Kopassus) accused of killing Papuan leader Theys Hiyo Eluay will
likely face further delay because the military police cannot
guarantee they can hand over the results of their investigation
to military prosecutors next month.
Brig. Gen. Hendardji, deputy chief of the military police,
said on Friday the investigative team were having difficulties
collecting evidence, as well as the testimonies of several
witnesses, calling the high-profile case "very sensitive".
Hendardji, also chairman of the Indonesian Military (TNI)
investigative team, initially said he would hand over the results
of the investigation this month, but it was rejected as
"incomplete" by military prosecutors.
"I cannot set a deadline for the handing over of the
investigation's results because most of the witnesses have
refused to testify. So what we need is more time," he said.
Earlier, Military Police chief Maj. Gen. Sulaiman A.B. said
the Kopassus members were likely to be tried this month, soon
after the TNI investigative team hand over the dossiers to
prosecutors.
But, Sulaiman retracted his statement a few days later, saying
the trial might be delayed because the team had yet to complete
its investigation.
Theys, also a chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP),
was found dead in November last year, only hours after he had
attended a commemoration of the National Heroes Day at the
Jayapura-based Kopassus headquarters.
Nine Kopassus members are being detained at the military
police's cell for allegedly killing Theys. The include Lt. Col.
Hartomo, Maj. Doni Hutabarat and Capt. Rianaldo.
Many had demanded the government proceed with the case at the
human rights tribunal, considering that TNI as an institution was
believed to have engineered the killing.
Earlier this week, Rianaldo's father Agus Zihof, a retired
military officer, sent a letter to Army Chief of Staff Gen.
Ryamizard Ryacudu, informing that his son was being forced by a
man namely Maj. Andika Perkasa, a Kopassus member and also a son-
in-law of Hendropriyono, the National Intelligence Agency (BIN)
chief, to confess to killing Theys.
In his letter, Agus also revealed that "Andika had promised my
son a good position at BIN, because his father (Hendropriyono)
holds one of the top positions there".
Hendardji said the team would not question Andika.