Police seek Vegas case witnesses

Police seek Vegas case witnesses

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

Police said on Thursday that they were searching for at least
three people who reportedly entered East Timor illegally along
with former militiaman Vegas Bibilitu, who was shot dead in the
neighboring country.

"The identities of the three people are not clear and their
whereabouts remain a mystery. The police are searching for them
in order to smooth the probe (into the shooting)," East Nusa
Tenggara (NTT) Police chief Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said.

He said the three were wanted for questioning as witnesses
concerning the killing of Vegas on Sept. 19 by East Timorese
police.

Statements by the three men would help the police determine
exactly what happened during the shooting, and to uncover the
motive behind Vegas' and their illegal entry into East Timor,
Aritonang said.

"Information from the three is badly needed by the Timor Leste
police for the smooth investigation into the case," he said,
referring to Indonesia's former province East Timor.

He said on Wednesday that Vegas was shot dead "not within a
neutral zone but inside Timor Leste territory".

However, Aritonang said the fatal shooting was unjustifiable
under Indonesian law and should not have happened to border
crossers like Vegas, who was from Turiskain village in Belu
regency.

"I don't know about East Timorese law, but shooting a border
crosser is definitely not justifiable under Indonesian law," he
said.

Aritonang urged the East Timorese police to thoroughly
investigate the incident so as to appease former prointegration
East Timorese people now living in Indonesia.

The NTT Police have tightened security in the border area with
East Timor as former pro-Indonesia militias have condemned the
shooting and demanded an inquiry into it.

However, prointegration figure Francisco Soares said on
Thursday that he and his colleagues could accept Vegas' death and
vowed not to take revenge against those responsible.

"We leave it all to the legal process. We want the Indonesian
and East Timorese police to look into the case thoroughly," he
added.

Aritonang said Vegas was killed because he had fired arrows at
East Timorese police officers on patrol.

"The victim was warned about entering East Timorese territory
up to 100 meters from the border, but he responded by firing
arrows at the East Timorese police officers."