Received from Joyo Indonesia News
The Jakarta
Post
September 26, 2003
Police seek Vegas case witnesses
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara
Police said
on Thursday that they were searching for at least three people
who reportedly entered East Timor illegally along with former militiaman
Vegas
Bibilitu, who was shot dead in the neighboring country.
"The
identities of the three people are not clear and their whereabouts
remain a mystery. The police are searching for them in order to smooth
the
probe
(into the shooting)," East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Police chief Brig.
Gen. Edward
Aritonang said.
He said
the three were wanted for questioning as witnesses concerning the
killing of Vegas on Sept. 19 by East Timorese police.
Statements
by the three men would help the police determine exactly what
happened during the shooting, and to uncover the motive behind Vegas'
and
their
illegal entry into East Timor, Aritonang said.
"Information
from the three is badly needed by the Timor Leste police for the
smooth investigation into the case," he said, referring to Indonesia's
former
province East Timor.
He said
on Wednesday that Vegas was shot dead "not within a neutral zone
but
inside Timor Leste territory".
However,
Aritonang said the fatal shooting was unjustifiable under Indonesian
law and should not have happened to border crossers like Vegas, who was
from
Turiskain village in Belu regency.
"I
don't know about East Timorese law, but shooting a border crosser is
definitely not justifiable under Indonesian law," he said.
Aritonang
urged the East Timorese police to thoroughly investigate the
incident so as to appease former prointegration East Timorese people now
living in
Indonesia.
The NTT
Police have tightened security in the border area with East Timor as
former pro-Indonesia militias have condemned the shooting and demanded
an
inquiry into it.
However,
prointegration figure Francisco Soares said on Thursday that he and
his colleagues could accept Vegas' death and vowed not to take revenge
against
those responsible.
"We
leave it all to the legal process. We want the Indonesian and East
Timorese police to look into the case thoroughly," he added.
Aritonang
said Vegas was killed because he had fired arrows at East Timorese
police officers on patrol.
"The
victim was warned about entering East Timorese territory up to 100
meters from the border, but he responded by firing arrows at the East
Timorese
police officers."