Police meet Hendropriyono on Munir case

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Police investigators have quietly questioned former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief A.M. Hendropriyono as a witness in connection with the poisoning of rights activist Munir.

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar acknowledged on Friday that there was indeed a meeting, but did not know when and where it took place, saying he had not received the full report from the investigators.

"I've received a report that he (Hendropriyono) has been questioned. More details about the questioning will be reported to me soon," Da'i said after Friday prayers.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said the meeting between Hendropriyono and the police team was held on June 11.

The questioning came as the government-sanctioned fact-finding team to assist the police was frustrated by a lack of cooperation by Hendropriyono, despite its mandate from the President.

Hendropriyono, as well as other active and former BIN officials, have ignored the team's summonses, saying he would prefer a private meeting with the police or House of Representatives legislators. He invited the team members on Tuesday, instead, but they refused.

Thursday was the deadline for Hendropriyono, who headed BIN when Munir died, to fulfill the summons. The team said it would report Hendropriyono's failure to turn up for questioning in its files to be submitted to the President before its mandate is up on June 23.

The team will also detail in its report, the problems faced while trying to access documents from BIN, despite being assured of such access by current BIN Chief Syamsir Siregar.

The team is seeking to clarify seven documents, including a list of BIN employees and agents, reports on BIN's weaponry and BIN's storage facility for weapons.

A team member, Usman Hamid, said it was good that Hendropriyono spoke to the police, but he still felt it irresponsible for him to ignore the team's summonses.

"It is good, anyway, to know that Hendropriyono has met the police team and we (the fact-finding team and the police team) will share information about it," Usman told The Jakarta Post.

"I, however, view Hendropriyono's visit to the police headquarters as a likely effort to evade us."

Other BIN figures, former deputy chief Muchdi PR and Nurhadi Djazuli have also voluntarily spoken to the police, but refused to face the fact-finding team.

The team was given a mandate to question persons in order to collect evidence related to the untimely death of Munir aboard a Garuda flight. An autopsy found excessive amounts of arsenic in his body.

Separately, Munir's wife Suciwati said the case had drawn international attention, therefore she suggested that the President and security authorities prove their commitment in finding the perpetrators behind the poisoning of Munir and the motives behind it.

Suciwati recently arrived back in the country after visits to the United States and Austria as part of her campaign to win international support for a thorough investigation into the case.

Police have named three Garuda employees, including pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, in the case. Prosecutors are now preparing the indictment against Pollycarpus.