Naimullah, a reporter for Sinar Pagi, was found murdered. His mutilated body, with stab wounds in his neck and bruises on his head, temples, chest, and wrists, was discovered in the back seat of his car in Pantai Penibungan, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Pontianak, the provincial capital of West Kalimantan.
According to reports in the July 28 editions of the newspapers Media Indonesia and Akcaya, Naimullah had recently reported on timber theft for Sinar Pagi and had been conducting an investigation for the paper into illegal logging in Kalimantan. He was last seen with four men, including one from the company suspected of having been involved with the logging.
CPJ sent a July 28, 1997, letter to President Suharto urging his government to conduct an immediate investigation into the murder and to disclose the findings fully.
A CPJ representative visited Pontianak in October 1999 and, after speaking with local journalists about the case, concluded that Naimullah was killed for his reporting on police links to illegal logging activities in the area. The police had failed to investigate the case, according to local sources, and some journalists suggested police may have been involved in the murder.