MUNIR CASE: INDONESIAN POLICE SAY FBI COULD HELP

S E C R E T JAKARTA 013385 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL PINR KCRM KJUS ID SUBJECT: MUNIR CASE: INDONESIAN POLICE SAY FBI COULD HELP SPEED UP INVESTIGATION REF: A. JAKARTA 13007 ¶B. JAKARTA 12300 ¶C. 05 JAKARTA 16710 ¶D. 05 JAKARTA 15680 Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER STANLEY HARSHA, REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d ). ¶1. (S) A police team investigating the case of murdered human rights campaigner Munir will visit FBI Quantico December 4-9, accompanied by Embassy Legatt, for technical assistance in retrieving SMS messages among Munir and those implicated in his murder (Ref A). Lead police investigator Anton Charliyan told us December 1 that the content of the mobile phone messages could be important in providing sufficient evidence to tie suspects to the murder, since circumstantial evidence such as telephone company records showing the phone calls took place are not sufficient proof. Charliyan said FBI assistance could speed up the investigation. ¶2. (S) Charliyan confirmed that there are several suspects, possibly including Hendropriyono, Director of National Intelligence Agency (BIN) at the time of the murder, former BIN Deputy Director Muchdi Purwoprajoyo and others. Asked if the police have the will and political support to press charges against such powerful former officials, Charliyan said they do. They want to solve this case and they have the clear political support from Police Chief Sutanto and President Yudhoyono to do so. He added that the police totally disagree with the Supreme Court's October 4 acquittal of Pollycarpus, agreeing with the dissenting judge who said the evidence against Pollycarpus was sufficient to uphold the conviction. Charliyan noted that the two judges who voted for acquittal were retired military officers while the dissenter was a civilian. ¶3. (S) A separate investigation team has not yet left for Netherlands despite press reports to the contrary, Charliyan confirmed. He said this team was not quite prepared for that visit. The 22-year veteran said police feel like they are working alone on the case. Prosecutors are just going through the motions offering little proactive assistance, he said. Charliyan also heads People Trafficking and Vice Control Unit III, which has had an excellent record of arresting and charging human traffickers during his tenure. PASCOE