Banyumas military chief removed from position

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto

Lt. Col. Rukidi has been removed as chief of the Banyumas district military command for the role he played in releasing two prisoners from Purwokerto jail.

Central Java's Diponegoro Military Commander Maj. Gen. Marsono appointed Col. Mufad Santoso, current chief of the Banyumas-based Wijayakusuma Military Command, to replace Rukidi.

A military ceremony marking the transfer of post from Rukidi to his temporary successor Mufad, who oversees security in the towns of Banyumas, Kedu and Pekalongan, was held briefly on Friday in Banyumas.

Marsono, who presided over the ceremony, said Rukidi was removed from his post for "overstepping authority in carrying out his duties" when releasing the two prisoners -- Sarno Hadi and Suwandi.

Police recaptured the two men last week. Sarno was caught at his home in Purwokerto and Suwandi was apprehended while buying food in the town square.

Based on findings of the local police, Sarno is one of Rukidi's relatives.

Purwokerto penitentiary warden Didi Damaiarsa said Rukidi had proposed seven times that Sarno be temporarily freed for questioning in relation to a counterfeit money case involving the two prisoners.

Didi said that he eventually approved the request by the Banyumas district military chief. He did not elaborate further.

"He (Rukidi) had good intentions to unravel the case, but just the same it is intolerable because he overstepped his authority," Mufad told journalists after the military ceremony.

He added that the removal of Rukidi was part of the military's efforts to improve its bad image.

Rukidi apparently admitted his guilt and said he was ready to bear the consequences of his unlawful act, while apologizing to all members of the Wijayakusuma Military Command.

"I admit to this wrongdoing," he said tearfully in a speech during Friday's transfer-of-post ceremony.

Mufad also said the local military police would investigate the shooting of 14 suspected criminals by police last year in Banyumas.

The shootings were unjustified because they were in violation of prevailing procedures, he said without elaborating.

"The perpetrators should therefore be processed by the law, even though they are police who were carrying out their duties," Mufad said.

He said efforts to probe the shootings were, however, stalled as the Banyumas Police station had not submitted reports of the incidents.

Between August and November last year, fourteen suspected criminals were shot in the legs by local policemen who allegedly did not follow procedure.

Some of the victims claimed that the reason they were shot was not because they had tried to escape arrest. Others told their families they had been blindfolded before being shot.

Two of the shot criminals lodged complaints against Banyumas District Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sukamto Handoko to the Purwokerto-based military police in December. However, there has been no definite response.

Activists and legal experts said such shootings were in violation of human rights.

Lawyers from the Kosgoro Legal Aid Institute in Purwokerto have reported the shooting of their client, Abdul Hakim, one of the victims, to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).