Four policemen fired for offenses

YOGYAKARTA: Yogyakarta's provincial police fired on Saturday four of their members for disciplinary offenses, including the consumption of drugs.

The discharged officers, all second brigades, were Suradi, Triyono Kiswanto, Sutikno and Sugiharto.

Suradi was dismissed for using the illegal drug shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine), and Triyono experienced the same fate for having two wives. Under Indonesian law it is okay for a Muslim to have up to four wives, but civil servants are the exception, they can only have one.

Meanwhile, Sutikno and Sugiharto were removed from the police force for being absent continuously for more than 30 days.

"It is difficult for us to take such steps, yet we have to uphold this as an example to keep our disciplinary system working," deputy Yogyakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Tatang Sugandi said in a function at his office on Saturday.

During the announcement, three other police officers got their ranks demoted one level for other disciplinary offenses. They were Nawahir, Pudji Lestari and Joko Sulistiono. --JP