General suspended for one year<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A National Police disciplinary hearing has decided to suspend
\nBrig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko, the national police operations chief,
\nfor one year for discriminatory practices against suspects under
\nhis investigation.<\/p>\n
The hearing, however, cleared Ismoko of a much more
\ncontroversial allegation that he received bribes from Adrian
\nWaworuntu, a key suspect in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$187 million)
\nBank Negara Indonesia (BNI) scandal.<\/p>\n
Last year Adrian managed to sneak out of the country, fleeing
\nto the United States, in spite of a travel ban imposed on him.
\nThere were strong suspicions that high-ranking officers and
\nbureaucrats were involved in assisting his escape.<\/p>\n
The disciplinary hearing was presided over by National Police
\ndeputy chief Comr. Gen. Adang Dorodjatun, and it found that
\nIsmoko had violated the police code of ethics.<\/p>\n
\"As a supervisor of the investigation into the BNI fraud, he
\n(Ismoko) gave unequal treatment to suspects,\" said Adang, reading
\nout the decision on Tuesday, according to Antara.<\/p>\n
Some suspects under Ismoko's investigation were detained in
\npolice custody, while others were let free.<\/p>\n
Before coming to the decision, the panel of police officers
\nwas told that Ismoko had served more than 30 years in the police
\nforce without blemish.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the decision, Ismoko said that he understand the
\nsituation. \"I have done my best. If some of (my actions) were
\nconsidered in violation of the code of ethics, then I can
\nunderstand it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ismoko said, however, that he would consider appealing against
\nthe suspension. He has seven days to make an official response to
\nthe panel's decision.<\/p>\n
Ismoko was earlier accused of having violated three articles
\nin the code of ethics. The first was for discriminatory treatment
\nagainst suspects in the BNI fraud investigation.<\/p>\n
The second was for bribery, in the form of a laptop computer,
\nhandphone, television set, and sums of money -- US$20,000 and
\nRp500 million -- that he was alleged to have received from the
\nsuspect Adrian.<\/p>\n
The third was the belated hand-over of Adrian to the Jakarta
\nHigh Prosecutors Office.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the disciplinary measure imposed on Ismoko,
\nexecutive director of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
\nAssociation (PBHI) Johnson Panjaitan said that the senior police
\nofficer should have been charged under the criminal law for
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
\"What he did was not merely a violation of the police code of
\nethics; it was a criminal act in itself and he should be
\nprosecuted under criminal law,\" Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Johnson was concerned that instead of having his career
\nterminated, Ismoko may possibly get an even better position
\nsometime in future, as demonstrated in the past where high
\nranking personnel in the National Police and Indonesian Military
\n(TNI), who were involved in human rights abuses, were actually
\npromoted.<\/p>\n
He cited the example of the then Jakarta Military Commander
\nMaj. Gen. Syafrie Syamsuddin who was alleged to have been
\ninvolved in human rights abuses during the May 1999 riots, and
\nwas later promoted to become TNI spokesman.<\/p>\n
\"This disciplinary measure is part of a plot to vindicate the
\n'big fish' swindlers of state money and also to give the
\nimpression that justice has been done. In fact, he will be
\nrewarded in the future,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/general-suspended-for-one-year-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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