Ciputat Police chief faces several extortion allegations

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ciputat Police subprecinct chief Adj. Comr. Zulfan is facing multiple allegations of extortion following a report from a local businessman to the National Police, claiming that he had been a victim of Zulfan who demanded Rp 160 million (US$19,048) from him in October.

Adj. Sr. Comr. D. Sinuraya, an internal affairs officer at the National Police, confirmed on Tuesday that he had received the report from businessman Barzan Effendy last week.

Barzan said in the report that Zulfan had extorted him in order to settle a business dispute with a businesswoman.

A source at the South Jakarta Police precinct also confirmed that Zulfan was reported for extortion by four businessmen who were made to hand over Rp 98.5 million to Zulfan, just in October.

Zulfan was also reported for regularly extorting six shop owners selling pirated video compact discs (VCDs), with each required to pay him Rp 8 million to stay in business.

The police source added that Zulfan had reportedly demanded Rp 20 million from a man identified only as Robi, just to have his cars returned. Robi's two cars -- an Opel Blazer and a Hyundai Atoz -- had been confiscated by the police as evidence in a counterfeit car registration case. The cars were kept at the Ciputat police station.

In addition to the numerous allegations, the source said that Zulfan was also reported by his subordinate First Insp. Ahmad Kusnidar, head of the Ciputat Police traffic unit, for pointing a gun at his head.

The incident took place when Kusnidar was about to move some evidence after a traffic accident -- a fatal truck/pedestrian case -- from the Ciputat Police compound to the South Jakarta Police headquarters.

Zulfan ordered him to keep the truck in Ciputat, but Kusnidar could not comply because he had been ordered earlier by the South Jakarta Police traffic unit chief to move the truck to the headquarters. Apparently outraged, Zulfan pulled out his gun and pointed it at his Kusnidar's head.

Contacted separately, Zulfan said that he had never received a summons from the National Police to question him over the allegations.

As of Tuesday, he was still functioning as the Ciputat Police subprecinct chief.

An independent organization, Police Watch, revealed in its latest survey on the increasing number of criminal cases -- robbery, thuggery, gambling and drug trafficking -- in which active police personnel were implicated, either on or off duty. The survey said that there were at least 14 drug cases and 90 assault cases reported in 2003 involving police officers in the capital.