Extortion, blackmail no strangers among police: Watchdog
Extortion, blackmail no strangers among police: Watchdog
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Extortion and blackmail are commonplace in the police here
against a backdrop of poor law enforcement and flourishing
corruption, an independent police watchdog says.
The Indonesian Police Commission (KKI), a non-governmental
organization, said everybody knows that the security forces were
involved in extorting criminals and those who found themselves in
difficult circumstances.
"Blackmail is a common practice among police officers. It is
no secret at all," KKI chairman Nur Athar told The Jakarta Post
on Friday.
He said the police had often charged money from people to have
the charges dropped or to be released from detention.
"Every police officer knows all about it. Its one of the
police's rackets, which is why we need oversight from the
public," said Athar.
He was commenting on the alleged extortion of several owners
of traditional Chinese medicine stores in the Glodok area of West
Jakarta, in which the local police chief, Sr. Comr. Bambang
Wasgito, appears to be implicated.
Bambang made headlines this week when he was questioned by the
National Police's Internal Affairs Department for allegedly
blackmailing vendors of traditional Chinese drugs in Glodok.
The investigation followed the arrest of Michael Husada
Yunawan alias Aming, and Bong Fo On alias Aon, both owners of
traditional Chinese medicine shops in Tambora and Cengkareng,
West Jakarta, respectively.
Michael and Bong were charged with breaching Law No. 23/1992
on the sale of traditional medicines without the approval of the
Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM).
Bambang has been accused of demanding money from the two
suspects so that they would be acquitted of all charges. Since
then, however, the police have submitted their case files to the
West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.
Bambang has publicly denied all the allegations.
Athar urged the police not to cover up the Bambang case and
publicly announce the progress of the investigation.
"The police should take legal action against him (Bambang).
Please, don't protect those breaking the law," he added.
National Police Internal Affairs Department chief Insp. Gen.
Timbul Silaen said Bambang was summoned only to clarify a report
on the extortion.
"We did not question him, we just asked him for a
clarification over the report, which could tarnish the police's
image," said the two-star general, who was recently acquitted of
charges of 1999 atrocities in East Timor.
Timbul said Bambang's deputy, Adj. Sr. Comr. Tejo Subagyo, and
the West Jakarta police detectives' chief, as well as Michael and
Bong were also summoned to clarify the case.
"For the time being, we have obtained information that the two
suspects have admitted to paying a bribe through Mr. X, a
civilian, to have their cases dropped with the help of the West
Jakarta Police chief," said Timbul.
He quoted the suspects as saying that Mr. X had promised to
pass on the money to Bambang through Tejo.
However, Timbul admitted, Bambang and Tejo had denied
receiving any money from the suspects or having blackmailed them.
The identity of Mr. X remains unclear and the police have yet
to summon the middleman.
Timbul could had not yet decided whether to proceed with the
investigation, claiming that the evidence was still insufficient.
In addition to the charge, Bambang was reported to have
extorted dozens of other traditional Chinese medicine vendors in
Glodok, a mainly Chinese neighborhood.
Police said Bambang had allegedly asked those vendors for some
Rp 1.3 billion (US$140,000).
Also, he had reportedly sponsored the establishment of an
association for Chinese medicine storekeepers, through which the
West Jakarta Police chief was alleged to have ordered the
collection of "security money" totaling between Rp 1 million and
Rp 10 million a month from each member.
Timbul could not confirmed the allegations, however.