Justice minister condemns arrest of prosecutors
Justice minister condemns arrest of prosecutors
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman yesterday
criticized the way police arrested and questioned employees of
the Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office for their alleged
involvement in manipulating witnesses' testimonies.
He said the police's action -- which had neglected an
interinstitutional understanding -- would set a bad precedent for
the prosecution of legal officials in the future.
"(Police investigators) will be able, at any time, to detain
judges in the same way they have detained the officials of the
Jakarta Provincial Prosecutors' Office," Oetojo said after the
opening of a leadership meeting for Golkar's labor wing (SOKSI).
The minister said that police could have arrested and
questioned the officials in a better way.
"They should have followed the procedures," he said, but did
not elaborate further or detail the rules that the police
detectives may have violated.
A legal professor of Semarang-based Diponegoro University,
Soehardjo S.S., shared Oetojo's opinion.
"The police should have complied with the norms and ethics in
arresting and questioning the prosecutors, who are also legal
officials."
Soehardjo said the police had acted with haste when they
arrested and questioned the suspects, and did not talk with the
officials' superiors prior to the action.
The rector of Diponegoro University, Muladi, said that the
case reflected the existing disharmony between police and the
prosecutors' office.
"The National Police chief and attorney general should sit
down together at the same table and openly discuss the case and
look for a solution."
National Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo said Thursday that
police had lawfully arrested and questioned: Andhi Nirwanto, now
head of the sex-related crimes unit at North Jakarta Prosecutor's
Office; J. Kamaru, an assistant to the Deputy Attorney General
for intelligence affairs; and members of staff from North Jakarta
Prosecutor's Office -- Johny Siahaan and Afrizal.
The move was reported to their respective superiors afterward,
he said.
On Monday, Deputy Attorney General Sudjono C. Atmonegoro also
criticized the police for failing to seek permission from his
office before the arrests.
The Attorney General's Office said the officials were summoned
by police detectives on Thursday and Friday last week for their
alleged roles in falsifying the testimony of witnesses in order
to frame someone for the April 1994 killing of businessman Nyo
Beng Seng.
Fifty-seven-year-old Beng Seng, alias Darmansyah Suyadi, one
of the city's "big bosses" of gambling dens and nightspots, died
after being stabbed 12 times on the night of April 15, 1994.
The victim's rival, Eng San, and three other suspects were
found guilty of murder by North Jakarta District Court. But Eng
San was later acquitted by Jakarta High Court.
Police recently decided to reopen their investigation upon
receiving a report from Eng San, dated Dec. 4, which accused the
officials of preparing false testimony.
The report stated that another witness, Kikie Ariyanto, who is
still at large, is one of the key witnesses in the case who
identified Eng San as the mastermind behind the killing.
Police have since released two of the officials, but Kamaru
and Afrizal are expected to be charged under Article 242 of the
Criminal Code for encouraging another person to make false
statements in court. The violation carries a maximum penalty of
seven years in jail.
Kamaru and Afrizal were released on bail Thursday evening
following requests from their relatives.
Deputy Attorney General for general crime, I Made Gelgel,
denied yesterday reports which suggested Eng San had never made
such a report.
"It was made clear (in the police's arrest warrant) that the
arrest was based on Eng San's report."
Gelgel said that the report contained sufficient evidence to
carry out the arrests.
He confirmed that the overseas travel ban on Eng San, which
will end Monday, has been extended by the ministry of justice for
another year. (10/imn/har)