Military officers to be linked to Theys' murder

Military officers to be linked to Theys' murder

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Internal investigators of the Indonesian Military (TNI) are
likely to name several officers as suspects in the murder of
Papuan independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay last November, a TNI
official said.

Without identifying anyone by name, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen.
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said that the military personnel "are close
to being named as suspects." He also declined to say the number
of officers under investigation.

"There are strong indications that a number of TNI personnel
were involved in the murder. They are now undergoing further
investigation at the TNI Military Police headquarters -- but
please, let's respect the notion of a presumption of innocence,"
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters during a break from a seminar
by the Indonesian Veterans' Legion (LVRI).

An official close to the investigation, speaking on the
condition of anonymity, said that three officers have been linked
to the case.

Sjafrie flatly denied speculation that Theys was slain in a
military operation with the full knowledge of TNI headquarters.

With regard to Theys' killing, "We have never issued any
policy or ordered an operation," Sjafrie said.

Sjafrie's remarks on military's role in the high-profile case
contradicted earlier statements by Insp. Gen. Engkesman Hilep, a
member of the government-sanctioned National Investigation
Commission (KPN), who said that the team had not yet concluded
whether any element of the military was involved in the murder.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on
Tuesday, Engkesman said that "we never said that there were
strong indications of military involvement in the case."

Theys, chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP), was
found dead hours after being abducted while heading for home from
the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) compound, located on Jl.
Hamadi in the provincial capital of Jayapura, to commemorate the
National Hero's Day on Nov. 10.

The only known key witness, Aristoteles Masoka, was Theys'
driver, who has been missing until now.

Several witnesses, who refused to be identified, told members
of the Military and Police fact-finding team examining the case
that they saw a man they believed to be Aristoteles arriving at
the Kopassus compound through the front door sometime after the
murder took place.

The Jayapura Police said that seven members of Kopassus were
allegedly involved in the murder. Nevertheless, the police have
refused to disclose any motives behind the killing.

Following the fact-finding team's reports, the TNI and the
Army headquarters formed an internal investigation team.

Amid mounting calls for the establishment of an independent
body to investigate the murder, President Megawati Soekarnoputri
signed early in February a decree naming an 11-member team led by
Koesparmono Irsan of the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM).

The team, along with other investigation teams, have inspected
the Kopassus compound in Hamadi, and excavated at several sites
around the headquarters to see if Aristoteles might have been
buried there.

The investigation took place just after 40 members of the
Kopassus task force stationed there were withdrawn to Jakarta.

In addition, Kopassus chief Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaeni has
offered legal assistance to his troops should they face charges
of murdering Theys.