Air Force to discharge members involved in an attack

Air Force to discharge members involved in an attack

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An Air Force official said Wednesday that any Air Force member
would be dismissed and tried by a military court for involvement
in the armed attack on the Makassar police station in East
Jakarta which left one policeman dead late Tuesday.

Air Force operational commander at Halim Perdana Kusumah
airbase, Rear Marshall Herman Prayitno, said a joint
investigation between the Air Force's military police and Jakarta
Police would be completed in the next two days.

"In the case, which was committed by Air Force persons, firm
action will be taken against those involved, including their
dismissal. If they committed a crime, the case will be handed to
military prosecutors," he told reporters.

An armed mob attacked the station about 11:30 p.m. A policeman
on duty, First Pvt. Brig. Salmon Panjaitan was stabbed to death
during the clash. The station was also damaged.

Witnesses said the attack followed the confiscation of a
motorcycle belonging to a motorcycle taxi driver. The taxi driver
complained to his relative, an Air Force member assigned to the
Halim Perdana Kusumah airbase, after seeing a policeman driving
the motorcycle outside the police post.

None of the attackers were detained, while Herman and Jakarta
police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara declined to reveal the
motive and the suspects in the attack.

Both refuted suggestions that the empowerment of the police
force as part of reform campaign starting in 2001 had resulted in
friction between the two forces.

A green poncho was found at the scene of the attack but Makbul
said it could not be used to identify the attackers. "We still
don't know whether the attackers were civilians or military
persons."

Makbul said the police had also questioned stall owners near
the scene as witnesses.

"If it was my personnel's fault, then I will take firm action
against them," he said.