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.