The Jakarta Post, May 07, 2007
Police protecting key witness in rights activist murder case
The National Police reportedly has under its protection a key witness in the murder of
human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.
The secured witness, Ongen Latuihamalo, is expected to shed light on several
mysteries surrounding case.
"He is safe and we are protecting him," a source at National Police headquarters told
Detik.com news portal Sunday.
The unnamed source would not reveal Ongen's current location, but said police
questioned him and had retrieved information relevant to the case.
Ongen is believed to have met Munir during his stopover at Singapore's Changi Airport
en route to the Netherlands in September 2004. Munir was found dead Sept. 4, just
hours before his plane landed in Amsterdam.
Investigators had previously believed Munir was poisoned with arsenic during the
Jakarta-Singapore leg of his journey, but later asserted he was likely poisoned during
his Singapore stopover.
National Police chief spokesman Insp. Gen. Sisno Adiwinoto told The Jakarta Post he
was unsure whether Ongen was already under police protection.
"First of all, we have to focus on questioning the suspects in the case," he said.
The police recently named former president director of national flag carrier Garuda
Indonesia, Indra Setiawan, and secretary to Garuda's chief pilot, Rohainil Aini, as
suspects in the rights activist's murder. -- JP
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