Police investigation into Theys' alleged murder stalls

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The police investigation into the murder of proindependence Papua Presidium Council (PDP) Chairman Dortheys Hiyo Eluaway has stalled, while awaiting the arrival of an independent investigating team, according to the local police chief.

Irian Jaya Police Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said in Jayapura on Saturday that the police had nothing else significant to probe so they would wind down any further investigation.

"The police have no longer anything significant to investigate because the investigation has reached a certain point from where it cannot develop much further," he said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

This was, Pastika said, why the police were waiting for the establishment of an independent team to investigate the case thoroughly as the Papuan people had demanded.

Theys, an influential charismatic Papuan leader, was found dead inside his car in an area bordering New Papua Guinea, on Nov. 11, 2001, a day after he was reportedly kidnapped by unidentified people.

The police have summoned many people, including several Army personnel, in connection with the case, but, so far, no arrests have been made.

Aristoteles Masoka, who had been driving Theys at the time of the abduction, is a key witness in the case but has gone missing.

Pastika further added that the police have slowed the investigation because they could not carry it out any further because of its differing formal jurisdiction.

The military is the only institution that is not under the jurisdiction of the (civilian) Criminal Code.

Asked when the independent team would start its investigation, Pastika said he did know when or who would be included in it.

"We hope the independent team will be established soon so that they can carry out a thorough investigation," he said.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri had recently decided to form an independent team with more power to carry out a complete investigation into the case, as demanded by the Papuan people.

The people of West Papua are not pointing their fingers at the local military but have demanded the establishment of an independent team that involves foreign sides to investigate the case.

The military in Irian Jaya has denied its involvement in the case, though Army chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has pledged appropriate punishment against any servicemen involved in the murder.

Theys, who had been outspoken in his attempts to air the separatist aspirations of the Papuan people, was abducted only a quarter of an hour after he, along with his driver, returned from attending Heroes Day celebrations at the Army's special force (Kopassus) compound in Hammadi, Jayapura on Nov. 10, 2001.

According to six witnesses, they accompanied Masoka to report the abduction to the Kopassus unit only moments after Theys was kidnapped but failed to return for reasons that remain unclear.

Witnesses at the Kopassus compound said they also saw Masoka at the site, on the night Theys was abducted.