Ahmad Dani, Jakarta – Slightly built human rights activist Munir appears to have been the target of a huge conspiracy by a ‘rogue’ group. The evidence, four attempts were planned against his life. And one of the methods was certainly not ‘intellectual’: using black magic.
These new findings were revealed by the Munir Fact Finding Team’s (TPF) chairperson Police Brigadier General Marsudhi Hanafi when stopped by journalists at police headquarters in South Jakarta on Tuesday June 14.
The first murder attempt was to be carried out when Munir was in a car as if it was an accident. But the plot failed. “The second, by using witchcraft or black magic”, said Hanafi. Unfortunately Hanafi did not elaborate on whether the haram (forbidden under Islamic law) practice was actually carried out or not.
Third, by putting poison in food at Munir’s office, that is the Kontras (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence) or Imparsial (Indonesian Human Rights Watch) offices. This plan was not carried thorough. The forth was to be carried out aboard an aircraft. “It was this [plot] which then succeeded”, said Hanafi.
The four murder plots was revealed in documents found by the TPF. When pushed to reveal where the TPF found the documents, Hanafi was reluctant to say. “Sorry, that’s a secret”, said the one-star general.
The findings will now be handed over to the investigating team. “I hope that these new facts can be built on for a follow up investigation”, said Hanafi.
Munir died aboard an aircraft during a journey from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore on September 7 last year. It is strongly suspected that he died as a result of being poisoned by arsenic.
The TPF’s was formed based on a presidential decree and its mandate will end on July 23. The police have named three suspects in the case, Pollycarpus, a senior Garuda Airlines Pilot and flight attendants Yeti Susmiati and Oedi.
The TPF has found evidence that on dozens of occasions Pollycarpus was in contact with Muchdi Purwopranjono, the deputy five director of BIN when AM Hendropriyono headed the counter-intelligence agency. (nrl)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
