Uncertainty clouds probe into car smuggling ring<\/p>\n
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A noted analyst expressed serious doubts on Wednesday over the
\nobjectivity of the investigation into a nationwide ring of luxury
\ncar smuggling involving senior police officers, arguing that it
\nwas highly unlikely that they acted alone.<\/p>\n
Criminologist Adrianus Meliala of the University of Indonesia
\nsaid that car smuggling could never take place without the help
\nof police officers and customs and excise officials.<\/p>\n
\"Luxury car smuggling is a group act ... this requires a group
\nof customs and excise officers and police officials to process
\nthe necessary documents and to keep their mouths shut,\" Adrianus
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"It's going to be difficult for police detectives to set aside
\ntheir loyalty towards the National Police, and probably the
\npolice officials involved, and conduct questioning of police
\nofficers and officials objectively,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Adrianus was asked to comment on the planned questioning of
\nformer Jakarta Police chief Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb, who has
\nbeen accused of smuggling 11 Mercedes Benz cars from Singapore at
\nthe end his tenure as South Sulawesi police chief in 2001.<\/p>\n
The National Police had set up a team of investigators headed
\nby Inspector General Comr. Gen. Ahwil Luthan, which was expected
\nto summon Sofjan soon.<\/p>\n
The probe is unprecedented, considering that it is one of a
\nhandful of criminal cases directly involving police generals
\ninvestigated by police detectives as required by Police Law No.
\n2\/2002.<\/p>\n
Each provincial police chief is allowed to issue temporary
\nvehicle documents, which are effective for up to three months,
\nfor security reasons.<\/p>\n
Criminologist Mulyana W. Kusumah stressed the importance of
\npublic accountability and transparency in the investigation of
\nthis case, considering that police would be interrogating senior
\npolice officials.<\/p>\n
\"Other than the alleged involvement of Sofjan Jacoeb, which
\nhas been openly publicized, we do not know the identities or the
\nnumber of civilians and police officers involved in this case,\"
\nMulyana said.<\/p>\n
\"What's worse is that Sofjan will first be called by police
\nonly to clarify his point of view. It will be an informal
\nquestioning before legal steps are taken to question him
\nformally.\"<\/p>\n
Speculation has been rife that the probe into Sofjan has more
\nto do with his legal dispute with National Police Chief Gen. Da'i
\nBachtiar over the mandatory retirement age, and not necessarily
\nfor purely legal motives.<\/p>\n
Adrianus said that even though it might be common knowledge
\nthat luxury car importers had allegedly been in collusion with
\nthe National Police in the illegal importation, police had never
\nmade an issue of it when it involved generals or family members
\nof generals, until this year.<\/p>\n
\"On one side, police have proof that there was this smuggling
\ncase... on the other, there was a legal dispute between Da'i and
\nSofjan. Sofjan was very vocal against Da'i. Even as Da'i may not
\nhave initiated this investigation, he would not have a problem in
\nokaying it,\" Adrianus said.<\/p>\n
He said that among the disadvantages of Law No. 2\/2002 was
\nthat it clearly stipulated that a crime allegedly committed by a
\npolice officer would be investigated by police detectives.<\/p>\n
\"Even as the operational regulations have yet to be issued on
\nthe law... police have launched investigations into the case,
\nwhich is a bit unfortunate, as it points at the true motive
\nbehind this investigation. It's a test case for police,\" Adrianus
\nsaid, adding that the new law does not allow for the
\ninvestigation of criminal cases involving the police to be taken
\nover by state prosecutors.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/uncertainty-clouds-probe-into-car-smuggling-ring-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}