Police Asks FBI to Investigate Evidence in Munir Case
Thursday, 23 November, 2006 | 14:37 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Indonesian Police will cooperate with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the murder case of human rights activist Munir.

“This is aimed at finding new evidence,” Chief of Indonesian Police General Soetanto told reporters after presenting the Indonesian contingent to the Asian Games at the State Palace yesterday (11/22).

Sutanto said it was expected that the FBI could help in checking evidence from a forensic point of view.

From this, it is hoped that FBI can find new evidence that will lead to the murderer.

In addition to new evidence, its is also hoped that new testimony will hopefully emerge from this partnership.

The police did in fact prosecute Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto as the murderer.

However, the Supreme Court stated that this Garuda pilot was not guilty of the murder of Munir so now the police have to search for the murderer once again.

Sutanto was reluctant to explain the reason why the Indonesian Police was cooperating with a foreign party.

He did nevertheless confirm that this cooperation with the FBI has nothing to do with the pressure brought by four members of US Congress against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to uncover Munir's murderer soon.

“The handling of legal case is the sovereignty of a country and this cannot be challenged,” he said.

According to Sutanto, the cooperation with the FBI was not a new matter and has often been carried out—for the arrest of fugitive David Nusa Wijaya', for instance.

Moreover, he said, the Indonesian Police is not only cooperating with the FBI in this case but also with other police from other countries, including the Dutch police which conducted the autopsy on Munir soon after his body arrived in that country.

OKTAMANDJAYA WIGUNA | EKO ARI WIBOWO