Munir murder linked to ex-Garuda boss

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former Garuda Indonesia president director Indra Setiawan had given a special assignment to pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who is charged with murdering noted human rights activist Munir last year, two executives of the company testified on Friday.

Rohaini Aini, a flight operations support officer for Garuda's Airbus A-330 division, said she had assigned Pollycarpus as an extra crew member on board the GA-974 flight to Schipol, the Netherlands, via Singapore, on Sept. 6, 2004, at the orders of Indra.

Munir was found dead on board the plane a day later. A Dutch autopsy revealed that he had been poisoned by arsenic.

"On Sept. 6, 2004, I found a note on my desk. The note, which was signed by Indra Setiawan, said that Pollycarpus was had been assigned as a corporate security officer on board the GA-974 flight," Rohaini told the Central Jakarta District Court.

Later in the afternoon, she added, the defendant confirmed he would be aboard the flight.

Rohaini said Pollycarpus had earlier canceled a planned trip to Beijing on Aug. 31, 2004, as he wanted to attend a meeting of the pilots association on Sept. 7.

However, she added, the defendant later suddenly notified her that he would fly to Singapore on Sept. 6.

Rohaini admitted she changed the arrangements without the approval of her superior, Karmal Fauza Sembiring, because the defendant told her that Garuda's corporate security director Ramelgia Anwar would inform Karmal later.

Also testifying during Tuesday hearing, Garuda chief pilot Karmal confirmed this, but denied knowing about Pollycarpus' assignment as an extra crew member aboard Munir's flight, saying that he had been in Beijing on official business at the time.

"I received a note from Pak Ramelgia informing me about the defendant's special assignment a few days after Munir's death," he said.

Asked by presiding judge Cicut Sutiarso about the reasons for the assigning of the defendant to the Singapore, Karmal said; "I don't know".

Karmal said he had told Rohaini that the change in Pollycarpus' travel arrangements was against official company procedures.

Outside the courtroom, scores of activists and victims of human right abuses staged a demonstration, demanding that the masterminds behind Munir's murder be arrested.

"The court should not hide behind Pollycarpus, who was just the field operative. You and the prosecution must seek out the masterminds behind the assassination," shouted one protester.

A fact-finding team formed by the government has linked the murder to certain officers of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), but the prosecution did not mention them in the indictment.

According to the team, Pollycarpus was a member of BIN.