Suspect in Unsyiah rector's murder to for trial

Suspect in Unsyiah rector's murder to for trial

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam

A man charged with murdering the Syiah Kuala University (Unsyiah)
rector three years ago in the war-torn province of Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam will stand trial soon, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Police have completed an investigation into Mahyuddin alias
Raja Preman, 28, accused of the Sept. 7, 2001 murder of rector
Dayan Dawood. They handed over his case file to the Banda Aceh
Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday.

Police also handed over two pistols -- one revolver and one FN
gun -- a motorcycle allegedly used to kill Dayan, a car and two
cell phones as evidence.

Mahyuddin is in custody at the Banda Aceh Prosecutor's Office
awaiting trial.

"I am sure that we will bring the suspect to court in the next
five to seven days," chief prosecutor Muhammad Adnan said.

Mahyuddin is charged with violating Article 106 of the
Criminal Code on treason and Article 340 on premeditated murder,
as well as Emergency Law No. 1/1951.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Mahyuddin was arrested after a gunfight with security forces
at Darussalam, Aceh Besar, on June 29, 2002. He was shot in the
leg and was flown to Jakarta for surgery.

His two accomplices Manaf and Daniel were killed in the
incident.

Police allege Mahyuddin and Manif were ordered to murder
Danyan by Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leader Ayah Sofyan, after the
rector refused to give the rebels funds from his campus'
development projects.

The police named six other suspects, including four -- Ayah
Sofyan, Manaf, Daniel and Fadlun -- already killed by security
forces. Two suspects remain missing and are being hunted by
police and military.

Mahyuddin is also a suspect in the murder of the Unsyiah
rector, another prominent Acehnese figure.

Aceh has been placed under martial law since May last year in
an attempt to crush the GAM rebels.

The operation, which has claimed many civilian lives, has
drawn strong criticism from human rights groups.