MUNIR MURDER CASE -- MINOR PLAYER GETS JAIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000119 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/AWH; NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV KJUS PHUM ID SUBJECT: MUNIR MURDER CASE -- MINOR PLAYER GETS JAIL REF: JAKARTA 09 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Indonesian Supreme Court has convicted Rohainil Aini, a former Garuda Airlines' employee, in connection with the 2004 murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib. Rohainil received a one-year sentence for faking a letter that enabled Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto (who is now serving time) to board a September 2004 flight to Singapore and murder Munir. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): In the meantime, the GOI has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court over the recent acquittal of a former high-level intelligence official for conspiring to murder Munir. The Supreme Court decision to overturn the Rohainil acquittal appears to bode well for the appeal in this latter case. END SUMMARY. MINOR PLAYER GETS JAIL ¶3. (C) The GOI has jailed a third suspect in the Munir murder case. (Note: Munir, a well-known human rights activist, was murdered in September 2004 on a Garuda Airlines' flight.) The Supreme Court on January 20 convicted Rohainil Aini of forgery and sentenced her to one year in prison. The Supreme Court's verdict overturned the February 2008 Jakarta District Court acquittal of Rohainil. As a Garuda official, she was charged with forging a letter which allowed Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto to board a Garuda flight and poison Munir. (Note: Pollycarpus is currently serving a 20-year jail term for committing the murder.) ¶4. (U) In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the District Court had based its initial acquittal on "faulty legal grounds." It said the evidence that Rohainil had signed the letter without proper authority was "convincing." The court stated: "The letter provided to Pollycarpus was neither part of the flight's operational plans nor did it fall under the responsibility of the defendant." Witnesses have testified that Pollycarpus could not have boarded Munir's flight without the falsified letter. Rohainil had maintained in her defense that she was merely following orders to draft the letter from her boss, former Garuda Director Indra Setiwan. Setiawan completed his one-year prison term in 2007 for his role in abetting the murder. MUCHDI RULING APPEALED ¶5. (U) In the meantime, the GOI has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court over the recent acquittal of a former high-level intelligence official for conspiring to murder Munir. Muchdi Purwoprandjono was acquitted on December 31 of the charges (see reftels). The Attorney General's Office formally filed the appeal on January 10. Contacts have told us that the Supreme Court's review of the matter could take some time. ¶6. (C) Munir's widow Suciwati (one name only) has said she will not be content until Muchdi and other alleged co-conspirators are behind bars. She praised the police for their work in gathering strong evidence. She was in Bangkok on January 22 meeting with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Magaret Sekaggya, urging the UN to pressure the GOI to solve the case. POSITIVE NEWS ¶7. (C) The news that Rohainil will face jail is positive and indicates that the GOI continues to take the Munir case seriously. While she played a bit role in the case, upholding her conviction strengthens the case against Muchdi, who allegedly ordered the Garuda executive to issue the letter. ¶8. (C) This is the second time the Supreme Court has upheld a conviction in the Munir case. In an unprecedented 2008 decision, the Supreme Court reversed its own 2006 acquittal of Pollycarpus, sentencing him to 20 years. Given this, there is some hope that the Supreme Court could reverse the acquittal of Muchdi, which would be another step toward justice in this case. HUME