Geologist's autopsy report completed

JAKARTA (JP): An autopsy report confirming the suicide of Filipino Bre-X geologist Michael de Guzman will be given to the Philippines government soon, police said.

Head of National Police Detective Department, Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo said Tuesday that the police had completed autopsy tests that confirmed the former chief geologist of the Canadian Bre-X mining firm committed suicide on March 19.

But the report was not final, Rusdihardjo said.

"We are open to any new possibilities," he told The Jakarta Post.

"The report will be given to Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta and they will deliver it to the Philippines government," he said.

"The autopsy report concluded that de Guzman died because of the injuries he had falling out of the helicopter," he said.

He said police would continue to investigate other possible causes of death. De Guzman's medical records are still being studied.

A body, believed to be that of de Guzman, 41, was found in Muarakaman, East Kalimantan, on March 23.

On March 19 a helicopter pilot flying him from Samarinda to the Busang gold site found the back seat empty.

De Guzman had helped find the Busang gold. Bre-X claimed there were up to 200 million ounces of gold there, worth around US$77 billion, but this claim soon became controversial.

The finding of an alleged suicide note to his wife, raised speculations of suicide. The note said he was suffering from acute hepatitis B.

Earlier reports said de Guzman's family found it hard to believe he had killed himself. They said the results of a medical examination in February showed he was not seriously ill.

Filipino experts performed a second autopsy, at de Guzman's family's request, to verify the incurable disease suggested by his alleged suicide notes.

On April 18 a fingerprint expert at Manila's national Bureau of Investigation, Bayani Palad, said tests to determine whether the body was de Guzman's were difficult because the body had begun to decay. He said his findings would have to be approved by 13 other bureau experts.

A forensic expert at the bureau said after initial tests that he was convinced the person fell to his death.

Rusdihardjo said there was no cooperation with the Philippines in the investigation.

"We investigated without involving other parties because the accident occurred within Indonesian's jurisdiction, and because the police and experts we have are competent," he said. (cst)