Top intelligence officials held a series of meetings with former Garuda Indonesia chief Indra Setiawan to plot the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, a court in Jakarta heard Tuesday.

Usman Hamid, a former member of the government-sanctioned fact-finding team (TPF Munir), made the statement while testifying at the trial of former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy head Muchdi Purwopranjono.

According to Usman, the fact-finding team learned of the meetings through a four-page document that describes separate scenarios for killing Munir, Usman said.

"The written report was given to one of our team members, who was a police intelligence officer, from a BIN agent who refused to be identified," Usman told the South Jakarta District Court.

"The report details several plots to murder Munir, as planned in the meetings attended by BIN and Garuda officials," he added.

Among those in attendance at the meeting were former BIN chief A.M. Hendropriyono, Muchdi and ex-deputies Manunggal Maladi and Wahyu Saronto, said Usman, who currently chairs the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).

Former Garuda president director Indra Setiawan and his ex-corporate secretary Rohainil Aini were also present, he added.

Included as part of the case file on Muchdi, the document outlines four murder plots involving shooting, beating, poisoning and casting a spell on Munir, respectively. Each plot includes details on the persons responsible for drawing up plans and for committing the murders.

Former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the murder, was listed as one of the assassins.
The document was dated March 2004, six months before Munir was poisoned to death on board a Sept. 7 Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore, Usman explained.

The document bore no signatures, the witness added.

"Our team had asked BIN for clarification about the matter through an official named Darsono. We had several meetings with him and he confirmed the document (was from BIN)."

Usman also told the court BIN attempted to lobby the U.S. Congress to help assuage public sentiment over the murder.

The attempt is documented in papers filed by the lobbying firm Richard L. Collins & Co., as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), he added.

"All the documents, including the contracts, can be found on FARA’s official website," Usman said, adding BIN hired Collins & Co. through an Indonesian charity for US$30,000 a month under two contracts valid from May to July 2005 and from September to November 2005, respectively.

Muchdi’s lawyers earlier said their client was a victim of U.S. and European Union pressure to identify Munir’s murderer.

The court also heard testimony from Muchdi’s former drivers, Suradi and Imam Mustofa.

The two men, both military officers, said BIN agent Budi Santoso had often used Muchdi’s cellular phone, corroborating earlier statements made by two of Muchdi’s former staff.

According to the case file on Muchdi, there were 41 telephone conversations involving Pollycarpus’ and Muchdi’s phones immediately before and after the murder of Munir.

Muchdi confirmed 0811900978 was his cell phone number, but said several of his phones were frequently used by friends and aides.