Five disgraced Brimob sergeants discharged<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Five police officers of the Mobile Brigade
\n(Brimob) corps accused of taking part in a violent robbery last
\nweek were publicly humiliated on Monday when their commander
\nroughly removed their insignias and berets to mark their
\ndismissal from the elite force.<\/p>\n
The firing of the five officers, all of whom were second
\nsergeants, took place in an abrupt ceremony at the force
\nheadquarters in Kelapa Dua, south of Jakarta, before some 4,000
\nBrimob corpsmen and dozens of journalists and television crews.<\/p>\n
According to Brig. Gen. Firman Gani, commander of the corps,
\nwho led the ceremony, the five -- Suharsono, Yusron, Miftahul
\nHuda, Tatit Dwi Putranto and Novianto -- deserved the public
\nhumiliation for being dishonorably fired from the police force.<\/p>\n
\"Thousands of other members of this corps who are putting
\ntheir lives at risk in Ambon and Aceh, and even the spirits of
\nthe late personnel who were killed while on mission in East Timor
\nyears ago, must not be willing to accept such behavior carried
\nout by a few unit members who tarnish the image of the corps,\"
\nFirman said in his speech.<\/p>\n
He finally underlined that these five people \"have violated
\nArticle 365 of Criminal Code for committing armed robbery.\"<\/p>\n
The decision to dismiss the officers was taken after a meeting
\nheld a few hours earlier at the headquarters, he said. The
\nmeeting, he added, was also attended by the five suspects and
\ntheir superiors.<\/p>\n
Firman, however, did not explain whether, during the meeting,
\nthe five admitted to their role in the crime.<\/p>\n
Firman hoped the speedy dismissal of the five police officers
\nwould help expedite the prosecution of the five for Thursday's
\nrobbery and murder at a house in the Permata Hijau housing
\ncomplex in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"We will send them today to the South Jakarta police precinct
\n(for further questioning) as civilians because they're no longer
\nmembers of the corps,\" the one-star general told reporters after
\nthe ceremony.<\/p>\n
Past records<\/p>\n
He admitted, however, that some of the five suspects had
\ncommitted misdemeanors in the past and had been internally
\npunished for their wrongdoings.<\/p>\n
\"We did not bring them to court (at that time) since we
\nconducted discipline punishment against them,\" he said without
\nelaborating.<\/p>\n
Firman vowed that he and the Mobile Brigade would never
\nhesitate to take stiff measures against crooked personnel within
\nhis force.<\/p>\n
He added that the low income of the force's members could not
\nbe a justification for the officers to commit misdeeds.<\/p>\n
\"The limited equipment for the troops and wealth for the
\npersonnel cannot justify committing crimes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Firman also expressed his condolences to the
\nfamilies of the murder and robbery victims and apologized to the
\npublic that the corps members had abused the people's trust.<\/p>\n
As reported earlier, the five Brimob sergeants along with five
\ncivilian accomplices broke into a house at the Permata Hijau
\nestate and made off with two luxury cars.<\/p>\n
A guard at the house, Musa, 50, whose mouth and nose were
\nheavily bandaged by the crooks, died later from asphyxiation.<\/p>\n
One of the civilians was shot dead by police on the following
\nday.<\/p>\n
The dismissal of the five officers left some wondering about
\nprotocol since the court has yet to decide whether or not the
\nfive Brimob officers are guilty.<\/p>\n
But a noted legal expert, Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara,
\ninsisted that he strongly supported the police's bid to purify
\nits corps of crooks.<\/p>\n
Such humiliation was acceptable, he said separately on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"If it is a corps tradition, it is no problem since it is part
\nof the corps' attempt to promote internal discipline,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police officers allegedly involved in crimes cannot be brought
\nto court unless they are dismissed.<\/p>\n
\"The court proceeding can follow the dismissal. If the court
\nrules the officers not guilty, they can later rejoin their units
\nand ask for the rehabilitation of their names,\" Abdul Hakim said.
\n(asa)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/five-disgraced-brimob-sergeants-discharged-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}