The government-sanctioned joint fact-finding team (TGPF) says it has concluded the field investigation of the shooting case of Papuan pastor Yeremia Zanambani, despite naming no suspects yet.
National Police Commission (Kompolnas) head and TGPF chief Benny Mamoto said the team was set to return to Jakarta on Monday, after conducting a crime scene investigation and questioning more than 25 eyewitnesses.
“We have worked to our maximum capacity and were able to relatively achieve our targets, despite the security threats that we faced there,” Benny said in a written statement on Monday.
The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) confirmed last Friday that it was behind an attack on members of the TGPF in Mamba village, Intan Jaya regency, Papua.
Two members of the investigative team were injured: Gadjah Mada University (UGM) lecturer Bambang Purwoko and Indonesian Military (TNI) soldier First Sgt. Faisal Akbar Force.
Benny said the team would resume its investigation in Jakarta to meet its 14 day deadline to report the results of the investigation to the government, which would end Thursday.
The TGPF has also convinced Yeremia’s wife and family members to allow the body to be autopsied as part of the ongoing investigation.
Four members of Yeremia’s family also signed a police interrogation report, which made them witnesses in the case.
According to the Indonesian Communion of Churches, Indonesian Evangelical Christian Church (GKII) and local media in Papua, Yeremia was allegedly shot by Indonesian Army (TNI) personnel on his way to his pig pen on Sept. 19, at the same time when a military operation reportedly took place.
Meanwhile, the TNI has denied the allegation, instead saying that Yeremia was shot by an armed group.
