TIMIKA CASE: PROSECUTION DOSSIERS COMPLETED, SENT

UNCLAS JAKARTA 007909 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FBI PLS PASS CTD/CAO - UC MONTOOTH SECSTATE FOR DS/DSS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/EAP/ITA, AND CA/OCS/ACS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC KJUS PHUM ID SUBJECT: TIMIKA CASE: PROSECUTION DOSSIERS COMPLETED, SENT TO COURT REF: JAKARTA 7556 (TIMIKA TRIAL LIKELY IN MID-JULY) ¶1. (U) Summary. Indonesian prosecutors June 21 turned over the dossiers of Anthonious Wamang and six co-conspirators in the August 31, 2002 murders of two Amcits and one Indonesian to the Central Jakarta District Court. We expect the court within ten days to set a trial date and appoint a panel of judges. The judges will likely preside over the two concurrently-held trials of both Wamang, who is charged with premeditated murder, and his six co-conspirators, who face separate, lesser charges. End summary. ¶2. (U) Further to reftel, Poloff and Legatt met June 15 with Anita Asterida, the attorney heading the sub-team that will head the prosecution of Anthonious Wamang, who faces charges including premeditated murder in connection with the August 31, 2002 shootings of two Amcits and one Indonesian near Timika, Papua. ¶3. (SBU) Ms. Asterida anticipated that the trial will begin in mid-July, which tracks with the time frame provided us by Deputy Director for Prosecution Domu Sihite (reftel). Ms. Asterida was particularly concerned with the willingness of Amcit victim witnesses to testify. She said that to lend maximum credibility to the prosecution's case, at least two victim witnesses should appear in person, as opposed to merely providing sworn statements. We assured her that the USG has resources to facilitate their appearance. She in turn said that the prosecution would work with the judges to ensure the victim witnesses' court appearances would not be excessively time-consuming or otherwise onerous. ¶4. (SBU) Ms. Asterida said that the Wamang prosecution team would have ten members. Since some members have other responsibilities, this relatively large number will ensure that the prosecution will have strong coverage throughout the trial, which is expected to last two to three months. ¶5. (SBU) Ms. Asterida later confirmed that, as anticipated, the prosecution turned the two separate dossiers for Anthonious Wamang and his co-conspirators to Central Jakarta District Court on June 22. In a June 23 conversation with poloff, Ms. Asterida said she expected the court to set a trial date and appoint a panel of judges within a week to ten days. Although two cases technically exist -- that of Anthonious Wamang and that of his six co-conspirators -- the court will handle the two cases together, and the same panel of judges will preside at both trials, which will run concurrently, Ms. Asterida told us. ¶6. (U) We will immediately inform addressees when the actual trial dates are set. AMSELEM