General suspended for one year

General suspended for one year

M. Taufiqurrahman and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A National Police disciplinary hearing has decided to suspend
Brig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko, the national police operations chief,
for one year for discriminatory practices against suspects under
his investigation.

The hearing, however, cleared Ismoko of a much more
controversial allegation that he received bribes from Adrian
Waworuntu, a key suspect in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$187 million)
Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) scandal.

Last year Adrian managed to sneak out of the country, fleeing
to the United States, in spite of a travel ban imposed on him.
There were strong suspicions that high-ranking officers and
bureaucrats were involved in assisting his escape.

The disciplinary hearing was presided over by National Police
deputy chief Comr. Gen. Adang Dorodjatun, and it found that
Ismoko had violated the police code of ethics.

"As a supervisor of the investigation into the BNI fraud, he
(Ismoko) gave unequal treatment to suspects," said Adang, reading
out the decision on Tuesday, according to Antara.

Some suspects under Ismoko's investigation were detained in
police custody, while others were let free.

Before coming to the decision, the panel of police officers
was told that Ismoko had served more than 30 years in the police
force without blemish.

Commenting on the decision, Ismoko said that he understand the
situation. "I have done my best. If some of (my actions) were
considered in violation of the code of ethics, then I can
understand it," he said.

Ismoko said, however, that he would consider appealing against
the suspension. He has seven days to make an official response to
the panel's decision.

Ismoko was earlier accused of having violated three articles
in the code of ethics. The first was for discriminatory treatment
against suspects in the BNI fraud investigation.

The second was for bribery, in the form of a laptop computer,
handphone, television set, and sums of money -- US$20,000 and
Rp500 million -- that he was alleged to have received from the
suspect Adrian.

The third was the belated hand-over of Adrian to the Jakarta
High Prosecutors Office.

Commenting on the disciplinary measure imposed on Ismoko,
executive director of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association (PBHI) Johnson Panjaitan said that the senior police
officer should have been charged under the criminal law for
corruption.

"What he did was not merely a violation of the police code of
ethics; it was a criminal act in itself and he should be
prosecuted under criminal law," Johnson said.

Johnson was concerned that instead of having his career
terminated, Ismoko may possibly get an even better position
sometime in future, as demonstrated in the past where high
ranking personnel in the National Police and Indonesian Military
(TNI), who were involved in human rights abuses, were actually
promoted.

He cited the example of the then Jakarta Military Commander
Maj. Gen. Syafrie Syamsuddin who was alleged to have been
involved in human rights abuses during the May 1999 riots, and
was later promoted to become TNI spokesman.

"This disciplinary measure is part of a plot to vindicate the
'big fish' swindlers of state money and also to give the
impression that justice has been done. In fact, he will be
rewarded in the future," he said.