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Bogor (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Army Headquarters is ready to give legal aid to former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Maj Gen (ret) Muchdi Purwopranjono who has been named a new suspect in the murder of noted human rights activist Munir.

"We will give legal aid according to what we can do," Army Chief of Staff Gen Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo said after chairing a function marking the 62nd anniversary celebration of the Army`s Military Police (POMAD) corps at Jonggol, West Java, on Monday.

Any retired Army officer could ask for legal aid from the Indonesian military (TNI) in this case the Army`s legal affairs division. The request would later be passed on to the authorized agency for further process, he said.

"POMAD can also give legal aid. But if there is no request, we will not give it," he said.

The Army chief said Muchdi had yet to ask for legal aid from the TNI. "So far, he has yet to make any request to us. If he asks for legal aid we will give it according to what we can do. This means that we will give it according to his rights. But if he does not ask for it, we cannot force him to do so. It is up to him to use his right to ask us for legal aid," he said.

Institutionally, the Army was fully leaving the handling of the Munir case to the authorized agency, he said.

"Institutionally, the Army has nothing to do with the suspect because he is now retired. But as a retired officer, he has the right to ask for legal aid from the TNI," he said.

Muchdi was named a suspect only one day after National Police Chief Gen Sutanto and the head of the National Police`s Criminal Investigation Department Com Gen Hendarso Dahuri indicated police had identified a new suspect in the Munir murder case. But they still declined to reveal the new suspect`s name.

National Police Headquarters` public relations division chief Insp Gen Abubakar Nataprawira said Muchdi was to be charged based on Article 340 of the Penal Code on premeditated murder and the Code`s Article 55 on participation in a criminal offense. The articles carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, life imprisonment or death.

Munir died after being poisoned during a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam on September 7, 2004.

The court has sentenced former Garuda president director Indra Setiawan to one year in jail and former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto to 20 years in jail in connection with the case.

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