Jakarta (AsiaNews) – At least 16 people are behind inter-religious violence which took place in Poso (central Sulawesi) in 2000, including government officials. The charge was made by Fabian Tibo, one of the three Catholics condemned to death in Indonesia because of their role in those clashes between Muslims and Christians. Tibo's statement, which restarted investigations into the case, was made public last week, when the convict met his family for the first time in Poso prison.

The other two convicts – Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu – were present at the meeting; for them too, it was the first opportunity to see their relatives.

Some days ago, the bishop of Manado, Mgr Surwatan, came out in defence of the three Catholics, describing their death sentence as "unjust" and emphasizing that the key witnesses for the three men never appeared in court.

Tibo's charges about the involvement of former officials of the Poso administration in the 2000 violence quickly drew a response from the police of central Sulawesi. The head, Brigadier General Oegroseno, has ordered further investigations on the basis of the "new" revelations. "Tibo's testimony has been instrumental in paving the way for an investigation into the case." Tibo had in fact made the same statement before the judges in 2001, but the court had not ordered any investigation. The case was closed until last week, when the three condemned men raised their controversial trial once again.

Tibo told the forces of order the names of the guilty people; the police have released only their initials: LM, TK, LD, FA, SR, ER, YS, AT, KR, SP, OT, BP, WT, YP, PP and LD.

"This trial was unjust," reiterated Tibo. "We have been condemned to death while the 16 people who orchestrated the violence remain unpunished. The application of the law does not seem to be equal for all."

The convict, accompanied by his lawyers, outlined the plan of these 16 people to sow the seeds of violence in Poso. According to Tibo, one man with the initials YS was the "ideologist", charged to "brainwash" local residents, to seek to foment violence against Christians, with statements like 'We Muslims are in the right in these clashes". LD, meanwhile, allegedly conducted a series of sexual assaults on women in the school compound of Wali Songo in Poso.

For his part, Dominggus da Silva confirmed episodes of corruption during the trial. He said that when the Palu Court reopened the case in 2001, the former lawyer of the three men, Robert Bofe, had been told his clients had to pay at least 20,000 dollars. "Robert told us that if someone received the money, he would have talked to the judges to get a lighter verdict. We did not pay and they decided for the highest penalty,"

Huisman Brant – the current lawyer of the three Catholics – has made an urgent appeal for the case to be re-opened to investigate the allegations of complicity of the 16 men indicated.  Brant said: "The death penalty must be overturned, because Tibo, da Silva and Riwu are key witnesses of their involvement."

Analysts in Indonesia said that after the appointment of General Gregory "Gories" Mere, a Catholic from Flores, to lead a special investigative squad, the police are moving ahead in a more decisive manner in a bid to discover the truth – still not clear – about what happened in Poso in 2000. Last week, two suspects, Ipong and Yusuf, were taken to Jakarta for more in-depth investigations.