Businesswoman Claims Extorted Rp800 Million by Four Police Officers, Reports to Maluku Propam

Four members of the Maluku Regional Police have been reported to the Professional and Security Division of the Maluku Regional Police regarding allegations of extortion against businesswoman Hartini. Hartini reported suspicions of fraud related to the purchase of cyanide worth Rp8.2 billion and extortion by police officers. The report was made by Hartini along with her legal representatives at the Maluku Regional Police Headquarters in Ambon on Monday morning (6/4). The four police officers reported for alleged extortion are the Head of SPKT Kompol S, Member of Maluku Regional Police Bripka ER, Member of Southwest Maluku Regency Police Bripka I, and Yos Sudarso Port Sector Police Chief AKP REL. When confirmed, the Head of Public Relations of the Maluku Regional Police, Kombes Pol Rositah Umasugi, confirmed that a businesswoman named Hartini had filed a police report (LP) against Bripka I, Kompol S, Bripka ER, and AKP REL. “Yes, it’s true, there are four suspects, the report concerns criminal acts of fraud, extortion, and conspiracy committed by the suspects,” she said when met by journalists in her office on Monday afternoon. She stated that the four suspects are active members of the Indonesian National Police currently serving in the Maluku Regional Police. They, she said, will undergo intensive examination regarding the case. “Further details will be provided by the General Criminal Investigation Section as it is their domain,” she added. Earlier, on Monday morning around 09:00 WIT, Hartini accompanied by several of her legal representatives went directly to the investigator’s room to file a police report (LP). Hartini recounted that Bripka ER once demanded money worth Rp800 million, with details of Rp600 million to be given to AKP REL as the Yos Sudarso Port Sector Police Chief, and Rp200 million to an unscrupulous individual in the Maluku Regional Police Criminal Investigation and Special Criminal Directorate. The alleged extortion case against Hartini worth Rp800 million began when Bripka ER, a member of the Maluku Regional Police, conducted a cyanide business with a businesswoman initialled K. Bripka ER purchased around 300 cans of cyanide with a total weight of about 50 kilograms for Rp8.2 billion. However, only an initial deposit of Rp2 billion was paid to the company or supplier, which is a PT in Surabaya, East Java. The shortfall was then covered by Hartini, and it was promised to be settled after the goods arrived in Ambon. After the 300 cans of cyanide were shipped from Surabaya to Ambon via sea transport, Bripka ER contacted Hartini stating that the cyanide was held by the police at Yos Sudarso Port in Ambon. An extortion scheme then occurred related to the cyanide. “So the 300 cans of cyanide with a total price of Rp8.2 billion are not mine, I only helped with Rp6.2 billion to pay off the goods belonging to Bripka ER and Haji K, because they had only paid Rp2 billion, the rest Rp6.2 billion, but I became a target of extortion,” she said. In addition, the reporter claimed that she was promised by Bripka ER to meet a general officer in Jakarta. Eventually, they flew to Jakarta and even Bandung, but no general was met. Upon returning to Ambon, Hartini was again promised a general who would come to the capital of Maluku Province. However, the general in question was not met by Hartini. Previously, she claimed to have been asked for money for a meeting with the general who was said to be in Ambon. “I asked for the general’s account number, they gave it, and I transferred another Rp100 million,” she added. Instead of meeting the general, Hartini claimed she was asked to give money to Sector Police Chief AKP REL as lubrication for the 300 cartons of cyanide worth Rp6.2 billion belonging to Hartini that were held at the Yos Sudarso Port Sector Police Station (KPYS).