Dutch couple quizzed over Munir case

JAKARTA: National police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Friday that a team of police investigators have questioned two Dutch nationals who sat next to human right activist Munir, who was apparently poisoned on Sept. 7, 2004, during a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam.

The two Dutch citizens, identified as Lie Kian Wang and his wife Lie Fong, were seated in the economy class compartment next to Munir when Pollycarpus Budihari Priyatno, a Garuda pilot who has been declared a suspect in the case, offered Munir a seat in business class during the first leg of the flight from Jakarta to Singapore.

Da'i said that the police investigators had not obtained any important new information from the couple, and that they only confirmed what the police investigators already knew from statements made by Pollycarpus and other witnesses.

"They did not pay much attention to Munir during the flight, but they said that the person named Pollycarpus had taken Munir's seat (during the Jakarta-Singapore leg of the trip)," Da'i said.

Police investigators had initially hoped they would be able to obtain new leads from the couple. --JP