Former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi Purwopranjono (center) arrives at the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday to attend his trial in the 2004 murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib. (JP/P.J. Leo) 

Former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy head Muchdi Purwopranjono employed a pilot to murder human rights activist Munir Said Thalib in 2004, a court heard Thursday.

Earlier this year, former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the murder.

Reading out the testimony of Budi Santoso, a former BIN director under Muchdi, a prosecutor told the South Jakarta District Court, "Pollycarpus once told me, 'Pak, I received an order from Muchdi to kill Munir.'"

The testimony was given by Budi to the National Police between October 2007 and May 2008 as part of an investigation into Munir's murder.

The court allowed the testimonies of Budi and former BIN deputy chief M. As'ad to be read out, after prosecutors failed several times to have the two men appear in court to testify in Muchdi's trial.

Prosecutors argued the whereabouts of both Budi and As'ad, on state assignments abroad, remained classified, and the two did not reply to dozens of summonses sent to them to testify.

"Muchdi's subordinate Kawan also told me he was ordered by Muchdi to either run Munir over with a car or shoot him," Budi's testimony read, adding he often saw Pollycarpus at BIN headquarters, particularly in Muchdi's office.

"On June 14, 2007, Muchdi phoned me, ordering me to bring Rp 10 million to his office. He said the money was for his guest. When I got inside, I gave the money to Muchdi and I saw Pollycarpus in the room."

Budi also said Muchdi had ordered him to pay Pollycarpus Rp 3 million in November 2007. However he could not say what the payment was for.

Budi told the police Munir was a threat to certain BIN individuals because of his scathing criticism of the agency and the government.

Munir was found dead on Sept. 7, 2004, aboard a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore. An autopsy conducted in the Netherlands revealed an inordinate amount of arsenic in his body.

After the murder, Budi went on, Pollycarpus called from Singapore to report on the successful killing of Munir.

"On Sept. 7, 2004, Pollycarpus phoned me to say '(I) got a big fish in Singapore.'

"I asked him whether he had already told Muchdi about this and he said yes," Budi said in his May 7, 2008, statement to the police.

He added Pollycarpus had earlier asked him to make a correction to a draft letter drawn up by the pilot.

According to Budi, it was a recommendation letter from the BIN to then Garuda president director Indra Setiawan to assign Pollycarpus as a corporate security officer. The position allowed Pollycarpus to share the same flight with Munir on Sept. 6, 2004 -- a day before the activist was found dead.

"The draft letter had a column for the signature of BIN deputy head M. As'ad," Budi said.

But As'ad, in his testimony also read out by prosecutors, said he did not remember signing such a letter.

"After Munir's murder, I checked with the administration department about the letter but it did not exist. I also asked Muchdi about the letter, but the defendant denied knowing about it," he said in his March 2008 testimony to the police.

At Thursday's hearing, Muchdi denied Budi's allegations.

"The fact is I didn't have the authority to order a director like Budi to withdraw an amount less than Rp 50 million," he said.

Muchdi's defense team asked the court to present audio or video recordings of Budi's and As'ad's questioning to prove they really took place.

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