Ex-Indonesian Spy Chief Held In Midair Poisoning Case
June 20, 2008 by national
Filed under Stories of Interest
Indonesian police arrested a former top official in the intelligence agency Thursday on suspicion of involvement in the midair poisoning death of a top human rights activist in 2004.
The announcement is a major break in the investigation into the killing of Munir Thalib and represents the first formal acknowledgment by authorities that the powerful State Intelligence Agency may have been involved.
Police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said Muchdi Purwoprandjono, a deputy head of the agency at the time of the murder, was arrested late Wednesday after turning up for questioning.
He said Purwoprandjono had been declared a suspect in the murder, a formal step in Indonesian criminal investigations, which means police believe that they have enough evidence to bring the case to trial.
Neither Purwoprandjono nor his lawyers were immediately available for comment.
