Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 10/15/2008 10:35 AM | National
A convicted accomplice in the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib denied he was ever in contact with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) or its former deputy chief Muchdi Purwopranjono, who is accused of masterminding the assassination.
Former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, testified Tuesday in the trial of Muchdi, who allegedly ordered him to kill Munir.
"I don't know Muchdi. I have nothing to do with him," Pollycarpus told the South Jakarta Court. "There was no order to kill Munir. I didn't kill Munir -- that's crazy." Pollycarpus said.
Later during the trial, Pollycarpus did not respond when prosecutors presented to the court a record of phone calls supplied by state telecommunications company PT Telkom, which detailed incoming and outgoing calls made to and from his house's land line connection and Muchdi's cellular phone.
The records show the calls were made on Sept. 7, 2004, at around 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; the same day Munir was found dead aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight to Amsterdam shortly after a stopover in Singapore. Munir, who died of arsenic poisoning, was on the same flight as Pollycarpus.
Some passengers reported that Pollycarpus had offered Munir a seat in the first class cabin and that he had continually hovered around Munir's seat during the flight.
"I offered the seat to Munir without any intention. I only thought he was someone famous," Pollycarpus said.
"I wasn't actually wandering around. I only went to a small bar to take some newspapers because I love to make news clippings.
"If they said the man died because I walked near him, then all of the other passengers should be dead too because I also walked near them."
Pollycarpus is serving his sentence at Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung.
During Tuesday's court hearing, Pollycarpus said he had never handed former Garuda president director Indra Setiawan a letter from the BIN requesting the carrier's management assign Pollycarpus as an extra crew member on the Garuda flight from Jakarta to Singapore.
"I have no idea why I was assigned as an extra crew member," he said.
Pollycarpus also said he denied knowing anything about the BIN, and refuted claims by the prosecution that he was a BIN agent.
Pollycarpus paused when asked if he had ever heard the names of BIN chiefs Syamsir Siregar and (former chief) AM Hendropriyono.
"Sorry, I can't remember (ever hearing those) names," Pollycarpus said.
He said he denied ever knowing BIN agent Budi Santoso, who testified to the police that Pollycarpus had said the order to kill Munir had come from Muchdi.
"I never received any money from Budi Santoso (to kill Munir)," he said.
However, Pollycarpus was silent when prosecutors presented more phone records of calls made between his cellular phone and Budi's. The police recorded 73 incoming and outgoing calls between the two phones before and after the murder.
Pollycarpus said several people had asked him to admit he was linked to the BIN. "A man offered me Rp 4 billion to confess that I killed Munir," he said.
A convicted accomplice in the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib denied he was ever in contact with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) or its former deputy chief Muchdi Purwopranjono, who is accused of masterminding the assassination.
Former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, testified Tuesday in the trial of Muchdi, who allegedly ordered him to kill Munir.
"I don't know Muchdi. I have nothing to do with him," Pollycarpus told the South Jakarta Court. "There was no order to kill Munir. I didn't kill Munir -- that's crazy." Pollycarpus said.
Later during the trial, Pollycarpus did not respond when prosecutors presented to the court a record of phone calls supplied by state telecommunications company PT Telkom, which detailed incoming and outgoing calls made to and from his house's land line connection and Muchdi's cellular phone.
The records show the calls were made on Sept. 7, 2004, at around 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; the same day Munir was found dead aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight to Amsterdam shortly after a stopover in Singapore. Munir, who died of arsenic poisoning, was on the same flight as Pollycarpus.
Some passengers reported that Pollycarpus had offered Munir a seat in the first class cabin and that he had continually hovered around Munir's seat during the flight.
"I offered the seat to Munir without any intention. I only thought he was someone famous," Pollycarpus said.
"I wasn't actually wandering around. I only went to a small bar to take some newspapers because I love to make news clippings.
"If they said the man died because I walked near him, then all of the other passengers should be dead too because I also walked near them."
Pollycarpus is serving his sentence at Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung.
During Tuesday's court hearing, Pollycarpus said he had never handed former Garuda president director Indra Setiawan a letter from the BIN requesting the carrier's management assign Pollycarpus as an extra crew member on the Garuda flight from Jakarta to Singapore.
"I have no idea why I was assigned as an extra crew member," he said.
Pollycarpus also said he denied knowing anything about the BIN, and refuted claims by the prosecution that he was a BIN agent.
Pollycarpus paused when asked if he had ever heard the names of BIN chiefs Syamsir Siregar and (former chief) AM Hendropriyono.
"Sorry, I can't remember (ever hearing those) names," Pollycarpus said.
He said he denied ever knowing BIN agent Budi Santoso, who testified to the police that Pollycarpus had said the order to kill Munir had come from Muchdi.
"I never received any money from Budi Santoso (to kill Munir)," he said.
However, Pollycarpus was silent when prosecutors presented more phone records of calls made between his cellular phone and Budi's. The police recorded 73 incoming and outgoing calls between the two phones before and after the murder.
Pollycarpus said several people had asked him to admit he was linked to the BIN. "A man offered me Rp 4 billion to confess that I killed Munir," he said.
