Tempo Interactive
National

TNI Forms Investigation Team for Timika Case

12 Nov 2002 21:19:26 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has formed an investigation team to look for information as to whether or not the TNI was involved in the attack on PT Freeport employees in Timika, Papua, on August 31, 2002, as been suggested by daily newspaper The Washington Post.

In a recent report, the newspaper stated that the TNI chief was present at a planning meeting the attack on PT Freeport employees in Timika but Sutarto has strongly denied this. TNI Military Police chief Maj. Gen. Sulaiman AB quoted this statement by the TNI chief to reporters after attending the swearing-in of new TNI National State Defense chief Maj. Gen. Achmad Hasan Sadjat at the TNI Air Force base in Halim, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (12/1).

?Currently, the team is still looking for information regarding the report,? said Sulaiman.

According to him, the fact-finding team began work since two days ago.

The team is led by a colonel from the TNI Inspectorate General of TNI and its members include personnel from the military police, intelligence agencies, the TNI Inspectorate General and the TNI operational division.

Sulaiman also stated that he was part of the fact-finding team and added that there were no results as yet because the team had been formed so recently.

TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto himself said he would still continue his lawsuit against The Washington Post.

?What was stated in the report never happened. But, the newspaper made it appear as if it really happened and did not contact me regarding the report,? he said angrily. (Bernarda Rurit-Tempo News Room)