Collusion feared behind escape of Ecstasy suspect

Collusion feared behind escape of Ecstasy suspect

JAKARTA (JP): A senior police general, a councillor and the
public have called on the city police to perform an in-depth
investigation to prove that collusion was not behind Friday's
escape of a female Ecstasy suspect.

In separate interviews with The Jakarta Post yesterday, the
sources said that the police should be able to re-arrest the
suspect, caught earlier for possessing a huge amount of Ecstasy
pills, in order to corroborate the confession made by the head of
the Tangerang police detectives, who is now being detained.

"The police should be able to prove that there's no collusion
(between the officer and the woman) in this escape," said Maj.
Gen. (ret) Koesparmono Irsan, a former national police chief
deputy for operational affairs.

"As of today, I still have no idea why this boy (the officer)
did such a sloppy job," Koesparmono said.

The officer, Capt. Ade Sutiana, a graduate of the elite Police
Higher Learning Institute (PTIK) here, has been dismissed from
his post and detained for further questioning since Friday by
interrogators at the Greater Jakarta Police Internal Affairs
Division.

He was accused of being negligent, which led to the escape of
Zarima, 24, a television actress.

According to Koesparmono, a detective officer like Ade should
have learned from a series of similar cases that occurred during
the 51 years of the history of the Indonesian police force.

"We never let any of our detainees separate from us, whatever
the reason," said the retired general, who is also one of the
most senior police detectives.

Therefore, he said, the Jakarta police should clarify what
happened behind this escape, which is a heavy blow to the
integrity of the police force.

"If I were the boy's supervisor, I would order him to bring
the suspect again to me. If, after a certain period of time, he
failed, he'd go to jail," Koesparmono said.

Several hours after the suspect was reported escaped, the
Jakarta police detained Ade.

Zarima was apprehended on Wednesday along with 29,677 Ecstasy
pills worth over Rp 1.78 billion (US$757,700) at her home in the
Taman Alfa Indah housing complex in Joglo, West Jakarta.

On the evening of the next day, Capt. Ade was assigned by the
Tangerang Police chief, Lt. Col. Djoko Satryo, to escort Zarima
and the pills to the Jakarta Police Headquarters for further
investigation.

On the way to the police headquarters, Zarima asked officer
Ade to let her take a bath at her mother's home, located in the
same complex as her own house, saying that she had not bathed
since her arrest.

Ade fulfilled the actress' request.

While Ade was talking with her mother in the living room,
Zarima used the chance to escape through a second-floor window.
Reports said that someone riding on a motorcycle was waiting for
her on the other side of the house.

Koesparmono believed that Zarima was still somewhere in the
area.

"She is a woman, meaning that someone is hiding her," he said.

Meanwhile, City Councillor Mochamad Aman from the Armed Forces
faction regretted the sloppiness exhibited by Ade.

"He probably thought the suspect was telling the truth. But
it's absolutely wrong for a detective like him, because he should
have known that any police personnel should not believe the
suspect just like that," Aman said.

Businessman Fahmi and a reliable source from the film industry
questioned the smooth escape of Zarima. They didn't believe that
Ade, a senior detective, was so foolish as to let Zarima take a
bath.

"What a shame," said Fahmi. "I doubt if officer Ade has
nothing to do with this girl."

According to a source from the local film industry who refused
to be named, Zarima is a girlfriend of a noted actor of action
movies, which he identified only as BP.

"We in the film industry will never believe that her escape
was not a plotted one," said the source.

Pending the outcome of his court-martial, officer Ade has not
yet been fired from the police force. (bsr/yns)