Extortion Victim Rejects 10-Fold Compensation Offer from Surabaya Police Chief

The grievances shared by the owner of the Threads account @tasyamarcella96, who fell victim to alleged illegal levies (pungli) while attempting to process vehicle release documents for accident evidence, have gained significant public attention.

The incident also drew a response from the Surabaya Police Chief, Kombes Pol Luthfie Sulistiawan. On his official Instagram account, Luthfie apologised and expressed his commitment to compensating the victim with ten times the amount of the money spent.

“The Head of Traffic Unit will meet the victim who was asked for money yesterday. Tell them from me, I will replace it ten times over; that is my commitment,” he stated, as quoted from his Instagram account.

However, the offer from the Surabaya Police Chief was rejected by the account owner. The individual requested only that the original amount of money spent be returned.

“I had the opportunity to meet the Surabaya Police Chief directly. He conveyed his apologies for the incident. During the meeting, I was also offered compensation amounting to 10 times the nominal amount I previously spent. However, I refused and only requested the return of the money I had paid,” the account owner stated via their Threads account.

The victim explained that the offer was rejected because their initial social media post was intended to bring attention to the case, ensure the perpetrators are processed according to the law, and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

“From the beginning, my goal in sharing this incident was not to seek profit or prolong the problem. I only want to ensure that what should not happen to the public is not treated as something ordinary,” they wrote.

During the encounter, the victim also mentioned that they have provided an official statement to the Propam (Internal Affairs) division for further action.

“I have retrieved my motorcycle from the Dukuh Pakis Police Station and have provided a statement to the Propam division,” the victim added.

In response, the Surabaya Police Chief, Luthfie, ensured that the officers suspected of the extortion would face strict sanctions from the unit.

“He ensured that the members involved will be dealt with firmly and will receive sanctions,” the victim wrote.