Former Head of the Indonesian Armed Forces\u2019 Strategic Intelligence\nAgency (BAIS) TNI, Soleman B. Ponto, stated that the acid water attack\non KontraS activist Andrie Yunus by four personnel from the BAIS TNI\nHeadquarters Detachment (Denma) was merely an act of mischief.<\/p>\n
Appearing as an expert witness in the trial at the Military Court\nII-08 Jakarta, Soleman assessed the case as not constituting an\nintelligence operation, but rather simple misconduct.<\/p>\n
The defendants are Sergeant Two Edi Sudarko, First Lieutenant Budhi\nHariyanto Widhi, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, and First Lieutenant Sami\nLakka.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to the expert, what the defendants did, does it fall under\nthe category of an intelligence operation or not? What the witness has\nknown and seen so far,\u201d said the legal counsel for the defendants during\nthe trial at the Military Court II-08 Jakarta on Thursday (7\/5).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not an intelligence operation at all. If I were the BAIS chief\nat the time, or even now if I were their superior, I would see it as\nmisconduct. We would view it as misconduct,\u201d said Ponto.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the mischief of selected, educated, trained individuals.\nWhen they encounter a trigger, as the second expert mentioned earlier,\nwe don\u2019t know what is stirring in their hearts. But when they find a\ntrigger, ideas of mischief like this emerge,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
Ponto explained that in military intelligence doctrine, an\nintelligence operation is not a spontaneous or emotional action,\nespecially not carried out individually without a command structure.<\/p>\n
A military intelligence operation is an activity designed\nsystematically, in stages, measured, and based on national strategic\nobjectives.<\/p>\n
In the TNI environment, particularly BAIS, he clarified, every\nintelligence operation fundamentally has several inseparable core\nelements.<\/p>\n
Such as clear strategic objectives related to national security and\ndefence interests, strategic stability, protection of vital national\nassets, counter-intelligence, or specific military operational\ninterests.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, actions born solely from personal emotions, personal\ngrudges, or individual spontaneous reactions fundamentally do not meet\nthe characteristics of strategic intelligence operations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In addition to strategic objectives, intelligence operations also\ninvolve a chain of command and authorisation. There are orders, control,\ntask division, and structural accountability.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Ponto said, intelligence operations always involve\nplanning.<\/p>\n
\u201cStrategic intelligence operations are not carried out crudely or\nuncontrollably. Before execution, data collection, target analysis, risk\nassessment, impact simulation, preparation of communication lines,\nevacuation routes, personnel security, identity protection, and\npost-operation control are usually conducted,\u201d stated Ponto.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn other words, modern military intelligence operations work based\non thorough calculations, not momentary emotional actions,\u201d he\nadded.<\/p>\n
There is also the principle of operational success with minimal risk.\nIn military intelligence doctrine, he explained, operational success is\nmeasured not only by achieving targets but also by the ability to\ncontrol legal, political, media, and security impacts.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, strategic intelligence operations tend to avoid actions\nthat easily reveal the perpetrators\u2019 identities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Agreement on military court jurisdiction<\/p>\n
On that occasion, Ponto stated his agreement that the acid water\npouring case against Andrie Yunus should be examined and tried in\nmilitary court.<\/p>\n
Ponto assessed that the Authorised Superior (Ankum) had appropriately\nhandled the acid water pouring case involving the four TNI\npersonnel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I were their Ankum and the public prosecutor requested them, if I\ndidn\u2019t hand them over, what would happen? It couldn\u2019t. It couldn\u2019t. What\nwould happen? De facto impunity,\u201d said Ponto.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, if someone requests today that these individuals be handed over\nto the public court, and when the military court takes over, it is seen\nas us taking over, actually we are placing it on the proper track,\u201d he\nadded.<\/p>\n
Contrary to most opinions, Ponto stated that impunity would actually\noccur if this case were brought to the public court.<\/p>\n
To strengthen his argument, Ponto cited the example of former Air\nForce Chief of Staff (KSAU) Marshal (Ret.) Agus Supriatna, who escaped\nlegal proceedings in the corruption case involving the AW-101 helicopter\nprocurement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can take an example. The former KSAU, could he be brought to\npublic court to this day? No, because Ankum has 100 percent authority to\nhold back. The prosecutor cannot force Ankum. Only the Main Military\nCourt can order Ankum,\u201d said Ponto.<\/p>\n
Four TNI personnel are charged with pouring acid water on Andrie\nYunus on the night of 12 March 2026.<\/p>\n
They are Sergeant Two Edi Sudarko, First Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto\nWidhi, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, and First Lieutenant Sami\nLakka.<\/p>\n
The motive, according to the prosecutor, was that the defendants\nharboured a grudge against Andrie for successfully interrupting a\nparliamentary meeting discussing revisions to the TNI Law held at the\nFairmont Hotel in South Jakarta in March 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that incident, the defendants considered Andrie Yunus to have\ninsulted the TNI institution, even trampling on the TNI institution,\u201d\nsaid the prosecutor when reading the indictment in a previous\nhearing.<\/p>\n
The defendants are charged with violating Article 469 paragraph 1\nsubsidiary to Article 468 paragraph 1 further subsidiary to Article 467\nparagraph 1 in conjunction with paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article\n20 letter c of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-bais-chief-attack-on-andrie-was-not-an-intelligence-operation-it-was-misconduct-1778158502", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }