TIMIKA CASE NEARING PROSECUTION PHASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002985 SIPDIS SIPDIS FBI PLS PASS CTD/DAO - UC MONTOOTH STATE FOR EAP - DAS ERIC JOHN, EAP/MTS, CA/OCS/ACS/EAP, DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, AND DS/EAP/ITA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC KJUS CASC PHUM ID SUBJECT: TIMIKA CASE NEARING PROSECUTION PHASE REF: A. JAKARTA 652 (TIMIKA CASE UPDATE: PROGRESS ON ACCESS ¶B. EVIDENCE SHARING) Classified By: W. Lewis Amselem, Charge d'Affaires a.i. Reason: 1.4 (b , d) ¶1. (C) Summary. During their February 27 - March 7 deployment to Jakarta, the FBI team investigating the August 2002 murders of two American citizens near Timika, Papua, assisted by U.S. Justice Department prosecutors, supported their Indonesian counterparts in the final stages of preparing the police's dossier on the case for Indonesian prosecutors. Cooperation continues to be excellent. We expect the dossier to be submitted to the prosecution within the next two weeks. Once this is done, the prosecutors have 50 days to finalize the case for trial and submit it to a judge, who will then set a court date. The most likely scenario is a late summer trial. End summary. ¶2. (C) On March 7, FBI Special Agents Paul Myers, Ron Eowan and Brett Mills, supported by an interpreter/translator, concluded an eleven-day deployment to Jakarta in connection with the ongoing investigation into the August 31, 2002 murders of two Americans and one Indonesian near Timika, Papua. Following arrests in Timika last January 11, eight suspects are currently being held by the Indonesian NationalQ P*i(e (INP) in Jakarta. The suspects continue to enjoy access to defense counsel and are being treated wel. ¶3. (C) The FBI continues to enjoy excellent ooperation with the INP. During the latest deplyments, the FBI turned oveer crucial evidence to he INP. INP evidence specialists, working with pecial Agent Mills, examined ballistic evidence i the INP lab. Special Agents Myers, Eowan, and Mils gave statements to the INP for use in connecton with the prosecution.. ¶4. (C) Also during te deployment, U.S. Department of Justice prosecuo*rs Tim Reardon and Greg Maisel met with three members of the six-member Indonesian prosecution teamoon March 2. They reviewed progress on the case o* this point and explained their roles in maintanning the integrity of the case in event of possil(e prosecution in the U.S. The Indonesians welcomed cooperation with their U.S. counterparts, andaagreed to remain engaged. ¶5. (C) In the next tw weeks, the INP will turn over the completed dosiier to the Indonesian prosecutors for final prepr"ation for trial. After the police send the dossier to the prosecutors, the prosecutors must presen it to a judge within fifty days. It is not unuu al for prosecutors to return the dossier to invsstigators for clarification or further work. A r"ial date will be set by a judge in Central Jakarta court once he has received the dossier from prssecutors. In theory, a trial could begin as earlya s May, but July-August is probably a more realittic estimate. ¶6. (C) The FBI will work togetherw"ith the Embassy to facilitate the attendance of Amcit victim witnesses at the trial. The Indonesian prosecution team has indicated that they would not object to this. AMSELEM