15 hours ago
Indonesian National Police Commission urges sanctioning Makassar officers for alleged extortion, assault
JAKARTA: The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) has called for sanctioning six officers in South Sulawesi who allegedly extorted and assaulted a local resident, the latest in a series of extortion scandals to batter the National Police in recent months.
Kompolnas commissioner Mohammad Choirul Anam said the actions alleged of the six officers had tarnished the reputation of the police force, and that strict sanctions were necessary as a deterrent to others.
'We need to impose strict punishment to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future,' Anam said on Wednesday (June 4), as quoted by
Yusuf Saputra, a 20-year-old resident of Boddia village in Takalar regency, said six officers from the Makassar Police extorted and assaulted him on May 27. Yusuf said the police officers arrested him without a warrant at around 10 p.m. while he was visiting a local night market.
'They pointed a gun at my head and hit me multiple times. The officers then transported me to a secluded location using a car,' he added.
According to Yusuf's account, the policemen proceeded to strip him and bind his hands. They then forced him to confess to using drugs and possessing the synthetic tobacco that one officer had planted on him.
The assault lasted for around seven hours. Later, the officers contacted his family and allegedly demanded Rp 15 million (US$920) for his release, but were told they could only afford Rp 1 million.
Yusuf said he was finally released after the officers had received this amount. Yusuf reported the incident to the local police, but alleged they initially refused to process his complaint and did so only after he shared his experience on social media, where his post went viral and triggered widespread public backlash.
Makassar Police chief Sr. Comr. Arya Perdana said the National Police's internal affairs division (Propam) had detained the six officers named in Yusuf's report pending an ethics hearing.
'A special investigation team has been formed to handle the case. We are currently interviewing witnesses and finalising the administrative process,' Arya said on Wednesday.
The police chief added that the six officers were also alleged of committing multiple violations that same evening, including neglecting their duties and operating outside their jurisdiction.
Commissioner Anam said Kompolnas was monitoring the case closely and had urged the Makassar Police to investigate the incident promptly and hold an ethical hearing as soon as possible.
'We remind all police officers that National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo has emphasised that any misconduct by officers must be promptly investigated and addressed, with full accountability and transparency throughout the process,' he said.
In a separate extortion case on Monday, Propam detained an officer from the Bone Bolango Police in Gorontalo province over allegations of sexually assaulting and extorting a university student.
In February in Central Java, the Semarang Police demoted two officers accused of extorting Rp 2.5 million from two senior high school students in a case that sparked outrage on social media.
And in January, the Jakarta Police dishonorably dismissed three officers and demoted 33 others in connection with a major extortion scandal at the Djakarta Warehouse Project Fest in December last year.
The officers allegedly coerced dozens of Malaysian concertgoers into taking drug tests and threatened to bring criminal charges unless they paid bribes. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
