Six soldiers stand trial over arms raid in Wamena

Six soldiers stand trial over arms raid in Wamena

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

A military tribunal formally charged on Monday six of nine
soldiers in connection with the April burglary of munitions from
the Wamena military arsenal, in which three people, including two
soldiers, were killed.

At least 13 M-16 rifles, 13 SP-1 rifles and three PM rifles,
along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, were stolen after a
group of people initially believed to be Papuan rebels broke into
the Wamena Army arsenal at 2 a.m. on April 4. Most of the stolen
arms were recovered several days after the incident.

The six defendants are being tried at the Jayapura military
court, Papua.

One of the soldiers, First Lt. Pilius Wenda, is charged with
aiding and abetting in the theft by providing arms or weapons to
armed separatist group Free Papua Movement (OPM), which was
blamed for the crime.

Military prosecutor Lt. Col. Sucahyo said Pilius, 38, who
served as the Kurima subdistrict military chief, had violated Law
No. 12/1951, Article 148 of the Criminal Code, which carries a
maximum death penalty.

The five other defendants are: Sgt. Maj. Karel Itlay, 46,
First Sgt. Philemon Pameka, 43, Chief Cpt. Paus Kogoya, 40, Chief
Pvt. Eduardus Kiwirok, 27, and Chief Corp. M. Irfan Djuhari, 38.

Irfan was charged with negligence for failing to carry out his
duty as a guard assigned to the arsenal, and could face four
years in prison.

Although he was supposed to be on duty guarding the arsenal,
he had gone home, Sucahyo told the tribunal presided over by Lt.
Col. AR Tambubolon, flanked by Maj. Sutrisno Setio Utomo and Maj.
Mayor Tatang Masifit.

The four other defendants were also charged with negligence
and failing to carry out their orders, as they were unable to
prevent the burglary, even though they were also on guard duty.

Three other soldiers -- Yaurima Mabel, Itong Kogoya and
Serianus Jikwa -- are to stand trial at an upcoming hearing.

Monday's trial, held at the hall of Papua's Trikora Military
Headquarters, was attended by families and relatives of the
defendants.

"The change of the venue from the military court building to
the hall is to give a bigger space for people to witness the
trial," Trikora Military Commander Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal said.

Meanwhile, six of eight civilians were also charged on Monday
at the Wamena District Court for their alleged role in the theft.

Two Army soldiers -- First Lt. A. Napitupulu and First Sgt.
Ruben Lena -- and one civilian, suspected of being a rebel, Islae
Murib, were killed in the ensuing shootout.

Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie
Sjamsoeddin said the electricity was cut during the theft, while
the soldiers assigned to guard the arsenal were absent from its
proximity area when the incident took place.

The burglary was spotted by patrolling soldiers, who just
happened to be passing the location, Sjafrie added.

Following the incident, TNI Headquarters sent 144 combat
soldiers from the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) to Papua to
hunt down those responsible.

A month earlier, the Kopassus task force in the provincial
capital of Jayapura was dissolved following mounting criticism
over its involvement in the killing of former Papuan independence
leader Theys Hiyo Eluay in 2001.