Arrest made every day, so where does the evidence go?

By Emmy Fitri

JAKARTA (JP): Every day, police arrest suspects of criminal cases and confiscate various pieces of evidence, from weapons used in the crimes to valuables and illicit goods.

In the case of drugs, pornographic material and pirated VCDs, police reportedly destroy the items; valuables such as jewelry, electronic goods and vehicles are returned to their owners, after the legal process is completed.

But what if nobody claims the evidence, such as a number of cars which are kept in a makeshift garage at Police Headquarters in Jakarta?

Officially, the cars should be handed over to the state but unofficially, they are sold to individuals, including other police.

Some officers have admitted to taking advantage of the unclaimed vehicles as they were able to buy them at prices lower than those found in the secondhand car market.

A policewoman who serves at the Jakarta Police's traffic unit said recently that she had bought a 1990 Kijang van for Rp 15 million. The vehicle was in good shape except that it did not come with the original ownership and purchase documents.

She paid cash and got the necessary documents completed about a week later.

The officer, who asked not to be named, said she bought the van from another officer at the police's vehicle-theft unit.

"I was offered it because I didn't have a car at that time," she said, adding that this practice was rampant among the officers.

She said she did not know where the money went from the transaction.

"I also thanked him for arranging the vehicle documents, so I don't care where the money went," she said.

The officer said if one got lucky, one could buy an expensive car such as the V-6 sedan, which is worth hundreds of million of rupiah on the market, for a much cheaper price.

City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam strongly denied such practices were happening at police headquarters.

Anton said all crime evidence was needed to help police uncover the wrongdoings.

"We cannot prove anything unless there is evidence," he said.

About officers who admitted to having bought a stolen car, Anton said,"I will check the reports."

He said that if a car was not claimed by its owner, police usually handed it over, along with a dossier, to prosecutors.

"In trials, unclaimed evidence is submitted to the state. And it will depend on the state to take care of the evidence, and that's beyond our authority," Anton said.

At the vehicle theft unit, Chief Brig. Anang said that there were several officers who used the unclaimed vehicles for personal use with the knowledge and consent of superiors.

"But I don't think we still dare to do that," he said without further explanation.

His unit could obtain five to 10 cars each month -- all seized from suspects. So far this month seven cars have been confiscated, with five of these being claimed by the owners.

"Owners, however, cannot just claim their cars. They have to be able to show evidence, such as purchase documents or ownership documents that match the physical identification of the cars (engine numbers)," he said.

After cars are claimed, owners still have to wait until the case is brought to court and the trial is over as the cars are needed for the trial as evidence.

"But they (owners) can use the cars on condition that should we summon them to bring the car to court when it is needed for evidence, they do so," he said.

If the cars are not claimed, the police distribute the identities of the vehicles to insurance agencies, just in case the cars have been reported missing, he said.