Whereabouts of drug case questioned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior Jakarta Police detective questioned the
\nwhereabouts of a three-month old drug case allegedly concerning
\nan offense committed by a member of the Army's Special Force
\n(Kopassus) which is currently being handled by the city Military
\nPolice.<\/p>\n
Second Lt. Agus Isrok (Kopassus personnel) was apprehended on
\nAug. 8 for reportedly consuming and possessing drugs.<\/p>\n
The complete dossier on Agus, along with a packet of shabu-
\nshabu (crystal methamphetamine) found in Agus's trousers when he
\nwas caught, was handed over to the military police on Aug. 12.
\nThat's nearly three months ago," the officer, who requested
\nanonymity, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
"What have the military police done to date about it? I doubt
\nif the dossier and the case will even reach the court," he said
\npessimistically.<\/p>\n
According to the officer, such a case should be brought
\nforward to a military tribunal as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
Military Police commander Col. Mungkono Mursidi could not be
\nreached to comment on the matter on Sunday.<\/p>\n
According to his adjutant, his boss could not be disturbed as
\nhe was receiving a guest at Military Police headquarters in
\nManggarai, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
When tried a second time, Mungkono's mobile phone had even
\nbeen switched off.<\/p>\n
Agus, a son of the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo, had been
\nwidely reported as being apprehended by West Jakarta Police
\ndetectives during a drug raid at a hotel.<\/p>\n
He and an accomplice were reportedly caught in possession of
\nheroin, shabu-shabu and over 6,000 ecstasy pills.<\/p>\n
Agus gave a different name at the time of his arrest but when
\npolice discovered his real identity during questioning later, he
\nwas immediately escorted to his father's house apparently upon
\nthe order of the Jakarta Police chief. Maj. Gen. Noegroho
\nDjajoesman.<\/p>\n
The press caught wind of the arrest when the initial police
\nreport and information regarding the handover to Agus's father
\nwas leaked.<\/p>\n
It took at least nearly a month before National Police
\nheadquarters confirmed the arrest of Agus, 24, and his friend at
\na West Jakarta hotel.<\/p>\n
A senior police officer who had confirmed the report, said
\nthat "the boy should not have been escorted to his father's home
\nin the first place."<\/p>\n
He should have been handed over immediately to the Military
\nPolice," said the officer, who also asked not to be named.<\/p>\n
"Elsewhere in the world, if police catch a soldier with drugs,
\nthe case would be handled by the police. It is only in Indonesia,
\nthat we have the Military Police handling such cases," he said
\nwith a cynical laugh.<\/p>\n
The penalty for drug trafficking in a civilian court is a
\nmaximum 15 years in jail or a fine of up to Rp 200 million
\n(US$27,000), although only a few judges in the country have had
\nthe courage to give the maximum penalty.<\/p>\n
Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hasnan Habib, former ambassador to the United
\nStates, demanded for a thorough and open investigation of the
\ncase.<\/p>\n
"The military must dare to take responsibility. It must
\nexplain to the people what the case was all about," he told
\nreporters at the time.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar has
\nrepeatedly called on the courts to award the maximum penalty for
\ndrug traffickers, noting the alarming increase of drug use among
\nthe country's youth.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan sentence drug
\ntraffickers and dealers to death. In Indonesia, drug dealers get
\nout of jail within months," Togar said. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/whereabouts-of-drug-case-questioned-1447893297",
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