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Pollycarpus trial failed to reveal brains behind murder: BIN

Detik.com - December 20, 2005

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – Pollycarpus has been sentenced to 14 months jail by the Central Jakarta State Court. The verdict however, has failed to touch on the brains behind the murder of human rights activist Munir. The prosecution also failed to uncover the brains of the murder.

“He (the prosecutor) has not yet been able to reveal who was behind Pollycarpus”, said the director of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), Syamsir Siregar, following a meeting of a final assessors team at the presidential offices on Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara in Central Jakarta on Tuesday December 20.

Siregar expressed his regrets over the performance of the investigating team that he says failed to optimally take advantage of the resources and facilities provided by the government. In fact the team was given the broadest possible opportunity to solve the Pollycarpus case but the outcome was instead that Pollycarpus was brought before the courts on charges of falsifying documents.

When asked why the investigators did not perform optimally, Siregar said it is precisely that which needs to be asked of police. “Just ask the police. We [BIN] have been cooperative from the start. If the police want to investigate [us], please, there’s no problem”, he explained.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has referred to the Munir case as a test of the government’s handling of human rights cases. When asked to comment on this, Siregar turned the question around. “Then why are you asking me”, he burst out laughing. (san)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

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