Inspector General Dadang Hartanto Claims Case File on Brimob Officer Who Fatally Assaulted Student Will Be Handed to Prosecutors Tomorrow

Ambon — The legal proceedings against Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officer Bripda Masias Siahaya over the assault that led to the death of 14-year-old student Arianto Tawakal in Tual City are being fast-tracked.

Maluku Police Chief Inspector General Dadang Hartanto has claimed the criminal case file against the officer will be submitted to the public prosecutor no later than Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

According to Dadang, the investigation has been centred at Tual Police Station as the majority of witnesses are located in that area.

“The legal process is being handled by Tual Police Station because most of the witnesses are there,” he said, as quoted on Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

He stated that he has been in direct communication with the prosecution service to ensure the case preparation proceeds swiftly without compromising thoroughness.

“My target, God willing, is Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said.

Once the file is submitted, prosecutors will examine the completeness of the materials and the applicable charges before the case is brought to trial.

“I am targeting submission to the public prosecutor, after which the charges and other matters will be reviewed, and then we hope it will be deemed complete and can proceed to trial promptly,” Dadang said.

He emphasised that the acceleration of the process is not a response to pressure but rather reflects a commitment that alleged violence resulting in death cannot be tolerated, regardless of who the perpetrator is.

“We acknowledge that such conduct cannot be tolerated. This is a matter of legal accountability — even though the suspect is one of our own, we do not discriminate in taking enforcement action,” he said.

Beyond focusing on the principal suspect, Maluku Regional Police are also investigating the possible involvement of other officers who were on patrol at the time of the incident.

“The examination of the other officers is still ongoing,” he added.

The Brimob officer responsible for the assault on Arianto Tawakal, a Madrasah Tsanawiyah (Islamic secondary school) student, which resulted in the boy’s death near the Uningrat Campus in Tual City, Maluku, on Thursday 19 February 2026, has been secured and detained at Tual Police Station’s detention facility. Maluku Regional Police have confirmed that the legal process against the officer will proceed without compromise.

The suspected perpetrator, Bripda Masias Siahaya, is a member of Brimob Company 1, Pioneer Battalion C. He is reported to have assaulted the victim, who was riding a motorcycle with his older brother. The victim was rushed to hospital for medical treatment but ultimately died, whilst his brother sustained a fractured bone.