Mapparesa grounded for two years

Mapparesa grounded for two years

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former Banyumas police chief Sr. Coms. Andi Mapparesa was demoted
to a paperwork job for two years on Tuesday for violating the
police's code of ethics to stay impartial in the election.

The seven-member Honorary Police Committee hearing Mapparesa's
case, however, cleared him of more serious charges that he worked
to pervert the course of the presidential poll.

Mapparesa, the former police chief of Banyumas, Central Java,
was brought to the Police's Honorary Committee for suggesting to
family members of police and retired police personnel to vote for
Megawati Soekarnoputri in the July 5 presidential election.

The "VCD case", so-called because Mapparesa was caught on a
recorded video compact disk making the comments, caused many to
question the police's neutrality in the elections. The Election
Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) suggested Mapparesa had violated
the country's Constitution.

Police leadership then set up the committee to investigate the
case and police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar suspended Mapparesa from
active duty.

During the one-month hearing, Mapparesa admitted to violating
the police's code of ethics regarding the elections.

The committee ruled on Tuesday Mapparesa be banned from
holding a position at any police precinct across the country for
two years. During that period he would work as a staff member in
the human resources division at the National Police Headquarters,
they said.

Comr. Gen. Binarto, who chaired the commission, said Mapparesa
had violated Article 9 of Police Chief Decree No. 32/2003 on the
police code of conduct and ethics.

The administrative punishment, however, was the lightest
penalty for personnel violating the police code of conduct. Other
punishments could include firing, demotion or prosecution by the
state court.

National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman said after the
hearing on Tuesday the commission considered Mapparesa had only
acted on his own behalf as an individual, and was not
representing the police. It was clear from the VCD recording
Mapparesa was wearing his police uniform during the May 29
meeting.

"The punishment is already heavy enough, considering that the
sanction has halted his career for two years. As an officer with
potential, the decision is a severe blow to him," Paiman said.

Alleged police partiality in the polls has also been reported
in Yogyakarta and Medan, North Sumatra. In Yogyakarta, dozens of
T-shirts bearing the faces of presidential candidate Megawati and
running mate Hasyim Muzadi were found at the Yogyakarta City
Police office, while in Medan, police officers called a meeting
with student activists and allegedly told them to endorse
Megawati. In both cases, Panwaslu cleared police of partiality
charges.

Meanwhile, several religious leaders representing
Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the Indonesian Communion of
Churches (PGI) and the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) went
to Police Headquarters Tuesday to urge police to stay neutral in
elections.

"We come here to ask for a guarantee from police that the
upcoming Sept. 20 election is secured and that police stay
impartial," said Natan Setiabudi of PGI after a meeting with
Da'i.