Indonesian official acquitted in killing

JAKARTA, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Prosecutors say an Indonesian intelligence officer Wednesday was acquitted in the killing of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

The verdict angered supporters of Munir who believed Muchdi Purwoprandjono masterminded Munir's killing in 2004, The New York Times reported.

Munir was poisoned with arsenic while flying to the Netherlands aboard a commercial flight. An off-duty pilot, Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, who had arranged to sit by Munir, was sentenced in 2008 to 20 years in prison for the killing, the Times said.

However, telephone records presented during the initial investigation showed Pollycarpus had placed dozens of calls to Muchdi in the time leading up to the killing, the Times reported.

Demonstrators who marched outside the courthouse in Jakarta said the decision highlights Indonesia's corrupt justice system and poor record of human rights, the Times reported.

Munir's widow, Suciwati, called Wednesday's verdict "a painful thing."

"I have not only lost a husband, but also an understanding of justice," she said.