MUNIR -- MORE COMPELLING COURT TESTIMONY IN CASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001891 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV KJUS PHUM ID SUBJECT: MUNIR -- MORE COMPELLING COURT TESTIMONY IN CASE OF MURDERED ACTIVIST REF: JAKARTA 1825 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In compelling--if sometimes bizarre--court testimony, magic potions and poisons were the weapons of choice in the 2004 murder of well-known human rights activist Munir. Prosecutors put this information on the record at the trial of the former intelligence official charged in the murder. Prosecutors will now attempt to get other key witnesses to testify. The GOI effort to ensure accountability in this case remains impressive. END SUMMARY. MORE COMPELLING TESTIMONY ¶2. (C) Recent court testimony has cast more light on the September 2004 murder of a well-known human rights activist. In an October 9 hearing concerning the charges brought against former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy, Muchdi Purwopranjono, the alleged mastermind behind the Munir murder, prosecutors finally succeeded in getting testimony from one of several key BIN witnesses into evidence. Unfortunately for the prosecution, former agent Raden M. Padma Anwar (aka "Ucok") claimed he could "not remember" his statements to police. That said, an incriminating document containing Padma's original statement to police was entered on the record. ¶3. (C) The testimony was compelling in its detail. A copy of Padma's statement provided to DepPol/C detailed how Padma was ordered by senior BIN officials to explore several different modus operandi to kill Munir. The junior agent said the orders were given to him by his BIN "handler," Sentot Waluyo, who said his orders came from a senior BIN official, Manunggal Maladi (now dead). During interrogation, Padma said Munir was to be murdered "before the (2004) elections because he is dangerous." Padma posed as a student activist in order to hang around Munir's offices at the human rights organization Imparsial and the Legal Aid Institute. Padma said he reported to BIN about Munir, his visitors and his favorite foods. BLACK MAGIC AND POISON ¶4. (C) The testimony was also sometimes bizarre. Padma recounted aborted plans to kill Munir through black magic, which Padma claimed he had used successfully in the past. Padma said he went so far as to contact a renowned witch doctor but was told that black magic against Munir would backfire because Munir's magic dagger (keris) protected him. This information was accepted by the crowd present in the court room without incredulity (many people in Indonesia--and especially in Java--believe in the efficacy of black magic). ¶5. (C) BIN finally settled on poisoning as the most effective way to kill Munir. Poison purchased at local markets was first tested on a cat, Padma told police. Ten days before Munir's fatal September 2004 flight to Holland, Padma said his handler Sentot called, asking for information about Munir's trip to the Netherlands. Padma said he asked Sentot to provide the same poison used to kill the test cat and Sentot gave him a bottle. (Note: According to an autopsy, Munir was poisoned with arsenic.) ¶6. (C) In separate October 9 testimony, a human rights activist, Poengky Indarti, testified about her visit to Jayapura, Papua, in eastern Indonesia to investigate links to Munir's murder. She interviewed persons who knew Pollycarpus Priyanto, the airlines pilot later convicted of murder for poisoning Munir, who often flew to Jayapura. Pollycarpus' colleagues told Indarti that he often boasted of doing target JAKARTA 00001891 002 OF 002 practice with Muchdi, then the Jayapura Military District Chief. Muchdi denied knowing Pollycarpus in his rebuttal. MORE KEY WITNESSES TO COME? ¶7. (C) The prosecution continues to press its case. Padma's interrogation affidavit did not directly link the accused Muchdi but interrogations of former BIN Deputy M. As'ad and still active senior agent Budi Santoso do (Reftel). DepPol/C's sources said both are sympathetic prosecution witnesses but are afraid to testify in court. The chief judge on October 9 directed prosecutors to send the subpoenas to testify directly to the two witnesses and not through their offices, given that they have twice ignored the requests. PROSECUTORS EARN PRAISE ¶8. (C) The GOI effort to ensure accountability in this case remains impressive. The reluctance of BIN agents to stick to their stories in court is no surprise given the intimidation they reportedly are experiencing. Still, written affidavits are accepted in Indonesian courts and were sufficient for Pollycarpus' conviction. Human rights lawyers praise the prosecutors for their willingness to try to force intelligence agents to testify. The next big step will be persuading either of the other two key BIN witnesses to truthfully testify. HUME