Criminals file police abuse claims
Criminals file police abuse claims
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto
More of the suspected criminals who were shot recently by police
in the Central Java city of Purworkerto while allegedly
attempting to evade arrest, have submitted complaints to the
regency legislative council (DPRD) and the Legal Aid and
Consultation Bureau at Jendral Soedirman University.
Parents of the six victims accused the local police of having
violated standing procedures when they opened fire on the victims
in an attempt, according to the police, to stop them fleeing.
The move followed recent protests by two other victims --
Abdul Hakim, 19, and Bambang Gestianto, 20 -- who lodged similar
complaints with the Kosgoro Legal Aid Institute in Purwokerto.
Bambang's father Nasum Sugeng Rahardi, 47, also wrote to
President Megawati Soekarnoputri last week to protest against the
"illegal" shooting of his son.
"Following these cruel actions by the Banyumas police, we are
asking President Megawati to ensure we receive justice," said his
two-page letter to the President.
Copies of the letter were also sent to People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais and House of Representatives
Speaker Akbar Tandjung, as well as Minister of Justice and Human
Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
Nasum accompanied the parents of the six latest victims on
Monday as they filed similar complaints with the legislative
council and the Legal Aid and Consultation Bureau at the
Purwokerto-based university.
Police in Purwokerto, the capital of Banyumas, shot at least
14 crime suspects, mostly in the legs, between August and
December of last year.
The police claimed the victims were shot as they had attempted
to evade arrest. The victims, however, denied this.
Several of the victims claimed the police had shot them even
though they were handcuffed or blindfolded.
The parents of the victims demanded that the prosecutorial
authorities take legal action against the police for allegedly
illegally wounding their children.
The Banyumas Police have apparently been enraged by the
parents' move.
On Monday, the police summoned Nasum for questioning following
his complaint to Megawati. He now stands accused of tarnishing
their image and damaging their reputation by bringing the case to
the attention of the President.
Nasum, however, defied the summons, saying he needed to meet
with local legislators first.
"Why should I be accused of tarnishing the good name of the
police while we, as ordinary people, are only protesting the
unjust treatment they have meted out to us?" he asked during his
meeting with members of the Banyumas legislative council.
When asked to respond to Nasum's complaints, Central Java
Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Ramli El Aris said all citizens
had the right to report any actions they felt had prejudiced them
to the relevant authorities, including the President.
He said any such complaint could not be categorized as an
attempt to damage the police's reputation. "Leave the case to the
court to decide who is right and who is wrong," Ramli added.
Banyumas District Military Commander Col. Mufad Santoto has
pledged to investigate whether the shooting of the 14 suspected
criminals complied with or breached procedures, and to take the
cases before a military tribunal.
"We have received the complaints and we have instructed our
personnel to immediately process them. We will not discriminate
against any of the parties involved," Mufad added.
He asked the police to cooperate by providing the names of the
officers involved in the shootings.