Police investigation into Theys' alleged murder stalls
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.