Police meet Hendropriyono on Munir case

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.