AGO to Appeal Muchdi’s Acquittal

VIVAnews – The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) plans to submit an appeal of Muchdi Purwoprandjono’s acquittal by January 12. They plan to prove that the verdict given by the panel of judges of the South Jakarta District Court was in error when they released the defendant of all charges in the case of the murder of Human Rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

“If the process runs smoothly, the appeal certificate will be signed on 12 January,” said the AGO’s spokesperson Jasman Panjaitan, Jakarta, Tuesday, Jan. 6.

However, Panjaitan continued, up until now the prosecution has yet to receive the copy of the decision from the South Jakarta District Court. “Ideally the [copy] of the decision should be given after the reading (of the verdict),” he said. Panjaitan promised that after receiving the copy of the decision, the AGO will immediately sign the appeal certificate.

Panjaitan explained that in submitting an appeal, the prosecution must be able to prove that the judges’ decision was free of errors. The prosecution plans to prove that the judges have made an error in interpreting the law. “We will prove whether the court has exceeded its authority in making its decision,” he said.

The South Jakarta District Court’s panel of judges, chaired by Suharto, freed Muchdi of all charges on December 31, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove Muchdi’s involvement in Munir’s murder as the reason for the verdict. According to the judges there was no proof that Muchdi had instructed Pollycarpus to kill Munir.

Munir was poisoned aboard a plane on his way to the Netherlands. Committee for Solidarity Action for Munir (KASUM) discovered facts that there was a conspiracy behind the murder. Pollycarpus, a Garuda Indonesia Airlines pilot who was on board the plane has been found guilty and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment.


Translated by: Ramona Sofianne Dewi Sasradipoera