Efficient police work

Efficient police work

From Media Indonesia

The editorial of this newspaper in its Nov. 9, 2002 issue praised the National Police for being able to quickly arrest Amrozi, one of the main suspects in the Bali bomb blast case.

As a retired police officer, I'm very proud to learn of this achievement. It is my hope and also the hope of the international community that the National Police will be able to nab all perpetrators in this case, uncover their network, and bring them to court.

The Bali bomb blast is a major case that has drawn the attention of the international community. The whole world is watching how our National Police uncover this case.

In view of my previous service in Metro Jaya police, I would like to suggest that for a major case like this, a special team must be set up and assigned only to take care of the administration of the ongoing investigation. In this way, those assigned to carry out field investigation can concentrate on the job without being bothered by administrative work. Likewise, investigators conducting interrogation will focus their attention only on the interrogation of both suspects and witnesses.

Besides, the investigators concerned must heed the provisions in Law No. 8/1981 in the Criminal Procedures Code on the various steps that an investigator can take and his authority in limiting someone's freedom and human rights in connection with an investigation. Any neglect of these provisions will render the investigation process invalid and prompt the suspects or their family to file a suit against the investigators. In this case, the party sued in the pre-trail motion is not any individual as an interrogator but the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia as an institution.

S. WIJONO

Jakarta