21 police officers to face court over Flores shooting incident

Yemris Fointuna, Kupang

After being found guilty by the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) police disciplinary committee last week, three middle-ranking and 18 low-ranking policemen are now facing trial in court to account for their alleged involvement in a shooting incident that killed six people on Flores island in March.

NTT Police spokesman Comr. Butje Hello said on Monday that the trial would be held after a police fact-finding team handed over its investigation results to the National Police Headquarters.

"The court trials are intended to judge whether their actions are in violation of the Criminal Code or they acted in self- defense, which is stipulated in Chapter 48 and 49," he said.

According to him, the investigating team would again summon witnesses in the near future to gather supporting evidence to complete dossiers that would then be submitted to prosecutors and subsequently to the court.

The trial is aimed at assuring the public that the police are not above the law, Butje said.

But he added that the case should be viewed rationally, keeping in mind that they acted to protect themselves after being attacked by hundreds of residents from Colol village, Manggarai regency at the local police station.

The three middle-ranking officers who will face trial are Manggarai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Boni Tompoi, operation unit chief Adj. Comr. Zainuddin and guidance operation head First Insp. I Wayan Bayu.

Also to be tried are 18 low-ranking officers, Tausius Tanus, Handoko S, I Putu Eka, I Wayan Arta, Komang S., Marten KS, I Gusti Putu, Bambang Eko S., Winard GD, Gusman Irawan, I Dewa Gede Veda, I Putu Artawa, Janes Malenhi, Firman Nahar Y., J. Cornelis and Simson Bong -- all first Brigadiers, and Brig. Piter Jhon R.

Earlier, the NTT police disciplinary committee had removed Tompoi from his post, while Adj. Comr. Zainuddin and First Insp. I Wayan Bayu were given written reprimands and suspended from attending police training courses for six months.

The committee also ordered the 18 lower-ranking officers to be detained for six days.

Out of the 18, Second Brig. Tausius and Brig. Piter Jhon R. will not be granted a promotion for six months.

The Manggarai shooting tragedy was triggered by the instruction of Manggarai Regent Anthon Bagul Dagur to destroy coffee plantations that Colol villagers claimed they were growing on ancestral land.

Security forces later destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of coffee plantations between 2003 and this year in Pocoranaka subdistrict.

Last March, seven Colol residents were abducted and detained at the local police station while digging for yam on their coffee plantations.

In reaction, around 400 residents, angered by the detention of their colleagues, advanced on the police station to demand that they be released.

But their protest was responded to by gunfire by police officers, killing six people and wounding 28 others.

The National Police Headquarters and the National Commission on Human Rights have sent special teams to investigate the bloody incident.