Facts on Four TNI Members Named Suspects in Acid Attack on KontraS Activist

Four TNI members have been named as suspects in the acid attack on KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. The designation of suspects was announced by the Commander of the TNI Military Police Centre (Danpuspom) TNI, Major General Yusri Nuryanto, during a press conference at TNI Headquarters on Wednesday (18/3). Yusri stated that the four soldiers are initialled NDP, SL, BHW, and ES. They have now been secured at the TNI Military Police Centre (Puspom) for further examination. “These four suspected suspects have now been secured at Puspom TNI for in-depth investigation to the prosecution level,” said Yusri. 1. From Denma BAIS TNI Yusri revealed that the four suspects are members of the Headquarters Detachment of the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (Denma BAIS). They come from the Navy (AL) and Air Force (AU) branches. “We state that all four suspected perpetrators are members of Denma BAIS TNI,” he said. In terms of rank, the suspects have varied backgrounds, from officers to non-commissioned officers. NDP holds the rank of captain, SL and BHW are first lieutenants (lettu), while ES is a second sergeant (serda). 2. Detained at Pomdam Jaya The four suspects are currently detained at the Jayakarta Military District Police (Pomdam Jaya) for investigation purposes. Yusri mentioned that the location has maximum security detention facilities. “Regarding the detention place, we will carry out detention entrusted to Pomdam Jaya. There is super maximum security detention,” said Yusri. 3. Charged with planned assault In the legal process, the suspects are charged under Article 467 of the Criminal Code Law No. 1 of 2023 on planned assault. “For now, we are applying Article 467 of the Criminal Code Law No. 1 of 2023. There are paragraphs 1 and 2, where the penalties are already stipulated, some 4 years, some 7 years,” he said. The article regulates assault carried out with planning, with a maximum penalty of up to seven years’ imprisonment if it causes serious injuries. 4. Motive still under investigation The TNI Puspom states that it is still investigating the motive behind the acid attack. Yusri emphasised that the investigation will be conducted objectively and transparently. “We are also still investigating the motive of the suspected perpetrators,” he said. In addition, investigators will also request a visum et repertum from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) as part of the legal process. 5. Attack Suspected to be Planned and Perpetrators Trained From initial investigation results, authorities assess that the acid attack was not carried out spontaneously. Director of General Criminal Investigation of Metro Jaya Police, Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, stated that the perpetrators appeared calm while carrying out the action, based on CCTV footage analysis. “For several days we conducted digital analysis, we saw that the journey of these perpetrators indeed showed calmness,” said Iman. He added that the perpetrators also did not show panic when fleeing after the incident. “Then after the incident, they from two motorbikes each with speed or behaviour more than before,” he said. 6. Suspected More Than Four Perpetrators Besides the four soldiers designated as suspects, police also suspect the number of perpetrators in this case exceeds four people. Iman mentioned that two other perpetrators have been identified with initials BHC and MAK, but investigators are still delving into the involvement of other parties. “However, from our investigation results, it does not rule out the possibility that the suspected perpetrators are more than four,” he said. The acid attack on Andrie Yunus occurred on Thursday (12/3). The victim suffered serious injuries due to exposure to chemical liquid on several parts of the body, especially the face, neck, chest, back, and both arms. Andrie was rushed to the Emergency Installation (IGD) of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) on Friday (13/3) in the early hours. The medical team conducted an initial examination and found exposure to acidic chemical substances on the wound area based on pH indicators. In addition to burns on several parts of the body, the victim also experienced vision impairment in the right eye. To date, joint authorities continue to develop the investigation to uncover all perpetrators and the motive behind the attack.