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)