ID :
38362
Wed, 12/31/2008 - 22:12
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https://www.oananews.org//node/38362
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VP: COURT DECISION ON MUCHDI MUST BE RESPECTED
Tampaksiring, Bali, Dec 31 (ANTARA) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on all people to respect the court decision to acquit former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi PR from the charge of murdering human rights activist Munir.
"We must respect what the court has decided. The government did not intervene in it," he told newsmen at the Tampaksiring presidential palace when asked to comment on the court's decision announced on Wednesday.
The South Jakarta District Court in its decision stated that "Muchdi PR is not proven to have legally and convincingly committed what he has been charged with and, therefore, he has to be acquitted," chief judge Soeharto said. The panel of judges had also demanded his release from jail.
In its consideration the panel of judges stated that the prosecution had not been able to prove that the defendant had abused his power as BIN's fifth deputy chief to issue a recommendation to Garuda airline company to recruit Pollycarpus (also tried in the same case) as a corporate security officer.
Regarding the prosecution's charge that the defendant had a grudge against Munir, the judges said based on statements from Hendardi and Suciwati (Munir's widow) as witnesses the defendant had no such feeling.
"The witnesses' statements did not prove the defendant had a grudge but only that he was worried," they said.
Regarding a statement from witness M Padma A, a BIN network member, that he had been ordered by a man named Sentot to kill Munir, the jury said the witness' testimony did not refer to the defendant's action.
Muchdi's lawyer, M Luthfi Hakim, said the charge of a grudge was proven untrue. "The judges only said it merely proved the defendant was worried," he said.
The prosecutors had accused the defendant of a harboring a grudge against Munir because the defendant had been discharged from his post of commander of the Kopassus (Army Special Force) after he had been in the post for only 52 days.
His dismissal followed Munir's critical statements on the case of activists' kidnapping by Kopassus's "Mawar" team.
Munir had also been considered critical on bills on intelligence, the military (TNI) and anti-terrorism and the defendant's appointment as BIN's fifth deputy chief had been considered as providing an opportunity to murder Munir.
"We must respect what the court has decided. The government did not intervene in it," he told newsmen at the Tampaksiring presidential palace when asked to comment on the court's decision announced on Wednesday.
The South Jakarta District Court in its decision stated that "Muchdi PR is not proven to have legally and convincingly committed what he has been charged with and, therefore, he has to be acquitted," chief judge Soeharto said. The panel of judges had also demanded his release from jail.
In its consideration the panel of judges stated that the prosecution had not been able to prove that the defendant had abused his power as BIN's fifth deputy chief to issue a recommendation to Garuda airline company to recruit Pollycarpus (also tried in the same case) as a corporate security officer.
Regarding the prosecution's charge that the defendant had a grudge against Munir, the judges said based on statements from Hendardi and Suciwati (Munir's widow) as witnesses the defendant had no such feeling.
"The witnesses' statements did not prove the defendant had a grudge but only that he was worried," they said.
Regarding a statement from witness M Padma A, a BIN network member, that he had been ordered by a man named Sentot to kill Munir, the jury said the witness' testimony did not refer to the defendant's action.
Muchdi's lawyer, M Luthfi Hakim, said the charge of a grudge was proven untrue. "The judges only said it merely proved the defendant was worried," he said.
The prosecutors had accused the defendant of a harboring a grudge against Munir because the defendant had been discharged from his post of commander of the Kopassus (Army Special Force) after he had been in the post for only 52 days.
His dismissal followed Munir's critical statements on the case of activists' kidnapping by Kopassus's "Mawar" team.
Munir had also been considered critical on bills on intelligence, the military (TNI) and anti-terrorism and the defendant's appointment as BIN's fifth deputy chief had been considered as providing an opportunity to murder Munir.
