General to faces hearing in fuel smuggling case

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A police general admitted on Monday to having sought help from an senior officer for his golfing buddy, who complained about detention of ships carrying his logs during an operation against fuel smuggling in Surabaya.

The National Police head of the General Supervision Comr. Gen. Binarto is facing a disciplinary hearing in connection with the case, which revolves around the release of Nelly III tugboat and Nowa 11 barge ship in June by East Java Police's director of maritime police Sr. Comr. Tony Suhartono.

The National Police internal affairs has questioned Tony, who could face prosecution for undermining the government's move against fuel smuggling.

Binarto said he sent Tony a text message on June 20, one day after his friend, businessman Sucipto, complained about the detention.

"I was only asking confirmation whether he (Tony) really apprehended the ships, as my friend who told me the fuel was part of fuel consumption during the travel to Irian," Binarto told a media conference.

He said Sucipto was running a logging business in Bintuni, West Irian Jaya and chartered the ships from a man named Ferry to deliver his logs to his buyer, Iwan Adiguna, in Surabaya.

Ferry had claimed the fuel, amounting to 100 tons, would be used for the two-way travel between Bintuni and Surabaya.

Tony told the police investigators he released the ships on June 21 because of the message. Binarto said he sent another message to Tony, asking the latter to proceed with the investigation if he found the shipowner had violated the law one day after the release.

Asked whether the first message had intimidated Tony, Binarto said the police's code of ethics allowed an officer to ignore a superior's order that is deemed to be in violation of the code.

"I only sought confirmation whether it was really a fuel smuggling case since it involved my friend. There was no intention to intimidate him (Tony)," he said.

Binarto said he had met National Police chief Gen. Sutanto to clarify the issue but was told that he would face a disciplinary hearing after the Idul Fitri holiday. Sutanto, however, has not issued a decree regarding the questioning.

"If I am proven guilty, I am ready for dismissal," Binarto said.