REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) head Arief Sulistyanto asserted investigation of the murder case of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib has never been stopped. He explained the police has made significant progress since the case started 14 years ago.

“In the investigation, there is no such thing as open and close the case. So we never close (Munir’s case),” said Arief on Friday (Sept 7).

Arief said Munir’s murder case began when National Police issued an order to initiate an investigation (SPDP) to the prosecutor's office as the public prosecutor in 2004. National Police had filed four case files for all the suspects, one of of those was Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto, who has been freed after finishing his parole on August 29. He said all the suspects had already undergone legal proceedings accordingly.

He asserted if new facts are found (novum), National Police would continue the investigation of the case. Arief explained the novum is currently being sought by National Police.

Furthermore, Arief commented about the lost of fact-finding team (TPF) document. According to him, the police did not necessarily hold on to the document

He asserted the police were assigned based on the existence and absence of new legal facts. Arief also emphasized that he would not be affected by the political 'scent' that accompanied Munir’s murder case.

"I'm not talking politics, I’m talking about law enforcement," Arief added.

Pollycarpus, a former Garuda Indonesia pilot was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2006 for his role in the death of the prominent human rights campaigner during a flight from Jakarta to Singapore on Sept. 6, 2004. He was granted parole by the government in 2014.

However, out of his 14-year sentence, Pollycarpus only served eight years in Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung and was released on parole in November 2014. There has been mounting pressure from the public and rights activists for law enforcement to prosecute the mastermind, as despite him being sentenced, the mastermind of Munir's murder case remained unclear.

Many parties considered Munir’s murder case could not only stop on Pollycarpus. National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner, Muhammad Choirul Anam said National Police did not need to start from scratch to solve the case.

According to Choirul, there were many things that could be explored as novum or legal facts. He also said National Police did not need to wait for the legality of the TPF document.

National Police could follow up on documents that have not been traced. For example, Choirul said a document that recorded by Pollycarpus with other related people, for example former Head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Muchdi Purwo Prandjono.

“So the order of National Police chief to Bareskrim must be interpreted broadly, such as to trace the documents back. The fact is in the police and Munir’s case should be easy because all the facts and documents are there,” Choirul explained.

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