Munir murder motive 'made up'

Pollycarpus Priyanto denies the charges

Lawyers for an Indonesian pilot charged with poisoning rights activist Munir Said Thalib have accused prosecutors of fabricating a motive for the killing.

They said Pollycarpus Priyanto had been made into a scapegoat because the real murderer had not been found.

Munir died on a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam last year. A post-mortem revealed he had ingested arsenic.

Mr Pollycarpus, who was on the flight but off-duty at the time, is the first suspect to be charged in the case.

Two cabin crew have also been arrested but their cases are not yet in court.

In their indictment, prosecutors claimed Mr Pollycarpus arranged for a lethal dose of arsenic to be added to a glass of orange juice which was served to Munir shortly after he boarded the plane.

They described the pilot as a staunch nationalist who viewed Munir as "an obstacle to government programmes" and wanted him "eliminated".

But Mr Pollycarpus' lawyer Mohammad Assegaf is quoted as telling the Central Jakarta district court on Tuesday: "Prosecutors created their own motive for the defendant to murder Munir, owing to their inability to find the real murderer."

He added that the indictment against his client was "merely based on speculation, without support of legal facts".

Mr Pollycarpus, who denies the charges against him, could face the death penalty if convicted.

Leading rights activist

Many of Munir's supporters say they believe his death was part of a plot involving intelligence officials.

Munir was allegedly served poisoned orange juice

An independent investigation into the killing has also found indications the state intelligence agency may have been involved, although its former head has denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Pollycarpus' lawyers hinted, too, that this issue needed further investigation.

"The way the indictment puts the defendant as the sole main player in the killing of human rights champion Munir is a forced attempt that gives the impression of being made up," said Mohammad Assegaf, according to Reuters news agency.

"If there is someone else who has participated or played the role as the intellectual actor in the poisoning of Munir, the indictment must be questioned."

Munir was a highly respected and outspoken human rights advocate who had often criticised the conduct of Indonesian security forces.

According to the BBC correspondent in Jakarta, Rachel Harvey, the trial of Mr Pollycarpus will be watched closely, to see if the defendant is willing to shed any more light on the murky circumstances surrounding this high-profile murder.