Investigator says Prabowo could be court-martialled

Investigator says Prabowo could be court-martialled

JAKARTA (JP): National Military Police Corps Commander Maj.
Gen. Syamsu Djalal said yesterday the Armed Forces' (ABRI) fact-
finding team now had the evidence with which to press Lt. Gen.
Prabowo Subianto with criminal charges for his alleged
involvement in the abductions of political activists.

"Prabowo's testimony before members of the Officers Honor
Council that he was involved in the abductions of nine activists
(who have since resurfaced) could be used as an evidence to bring
him before a military tribunal," Syamsu told reporters at his
office in Central Jakarta.

He said the team had questioned Prabowo and the two other
officers of the Army Special Force (Kopassus) a week before the
establishment of the Honor Council on Aug. 3.

"We have questioned Prabowo, Muchdi and Chairawan, and
completed the dossiers. Their testimonies were used as material
evidence for the investigation conducted by the Honor Council,"
he said.

ABRI commander Gen. Wiranto honorably discharged Prabowo and
removed the two others from active duty for their suspected roles
in the abduction and torture of political activists.

"We'll resummon them to complete the dossiers of 11 other
Kopassus officers, who will be court-martialled," he said.

He then asked for more time, citing that hastily prepared or
incomplete dossiers might lead to incorrect prosecutions.

He also said the investigation only covered the abductions
which occurred between March and April of this year.

The abductions of political activists started in April last
year, but those of the nine activists that Prabowo reportedly
admitted to having been involved in occurred in March and April
of this year.

Syamsu said Wiranto instructed him yesterday to immediately
complete the investigation.

Syamsu also dismissed speculation that the abductions were
part of an intelligence operation to safeguard national stability
and order.

"Had the abductions been part of an intelligence operation,
the Armed Forces Intelligence Agency (BIA) would have been
informed about them.

"BIA chief Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim has testified that he
did not know anything about the abductions," he said.

However, he did not dismiss the possibility that the number of
suspects to be court-martialled would increase on the completion
of the investigation.

"We have questioned former chiefs of the North and East
Jakarta Military Districts and also the chief of the Jakarta
Intelligence Department regarding their involvement in the
abductions of some of the activists," he said.

The independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) has reported that at least 24 activists have
gone missing since April last year. Nine resurfaced after being
absent for months and spoke of being abducted, kept in detention
and tortured.

Kontras says that one was found dead from a gunshot in a
forest near Magetan, East Java, on May 23 after being missing for
two days, and the rest are still unaccounted for.

The coordinator of the team, Munir, said yesterday some of the
activists who had reappeared had reported meeting a number of
those still missing in the detention site.

Munir also called for a transparent investigation into the
abductions of the political activists. "Syamsu has asked the
public to give the team of investigators any information, but in
return he must announce any progress in the investigation."

The Armed Forces has persistently denied any knowledge of the
whereabouts of the activists still missing. (imn/byg/aan)