Military to check illegal gun sales to GAM: Graito

Military to check illegal gun sales to GAM: Graito

SURABAYA (JP): Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Rear
Marshal Graito Usodo said on Friday that the military would
recheck the Jakarta Police's discovery of illegal gun sales to
the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) allegedly involving TNI personnel.

"If the Jakarta Police chief has announced it (the finding),
we will just believe him for the time being. We (TNI) have yet to
hear or read the report on the finding. As soon as the case goes
to the Military Police we will begin the probe," Graito told
reporters after a roll call at the Madura pier of the Ujung Naval
Base here.

Asked about the type of rifles sold by the syndicate,
including AK 47 assault rifles, Graito said that each party
should be extra careful.

"The rifles (sold to GAM) may not be local products which were
used by TNI. The guns may have been made in Vietnam. Let's not
make any conclusions. Let's respect the presumption of innocence.
TNI will be open," Graito said.

Kompas morning daily quoted Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen.
Nurfaizi as saying that Jakarta Police detectives had cracked an
illegal gun and ammunition sale ring involving military
personnel.

Nurfaizi said thousands of M-16 and AK-47 bullets and various
types of rifles, including FN pistols, SS-1 and Mauser guns were
confiscated. "The boxes of bullets bear the word Pindad,"
Nurfaizi said, referring to the Bandung-based Army industry.

Nurfaizi told his subordinates to go ahead with their
findings. "Don't be afraid," he was quoted by Kompas as saying.

When asked if the illegal gun sales reflected the weakness of
TNI intelligence, Graito said, "That's not the point. We cannot
conclude anything based on assumptions. I and the TNI chief have
been here since yesterday. Nothing is clear to us."

Graito refused to comment when reporters asked whether or not
the revelation of the illegal gun sales could be the continuation
of the cases involving Haryogi Maulani and Agus Isrok, sons of
military top brass officers. "I don't want to comment on that."

Meanwhile in Bandung, director of finance and administrative
affairs of PT Pindad denied that some of the company staff were
among those detained by Jakarta Police over the illegal gun
sales.

"After having physically checked in Jakarta we are assured
that none of our employees are involved in the illegal business.
We also found that none of the items seized by the police were PT
Pindad products," Hermawan Hadimulya told a media briefing on
Friday.

Hadimulya said PT Pindad had employed 10 retired Army and two
active Army personnel. "They are all at work as usual, except Lt.
Col. Triono, who has gone on the haj pilgrimage."

He said the SS1 guns and the pistols were not made by Pindad.
"They could have been made in Belgium or Sweden," he said,
admitting that some of the bullets were made by Pindad.

Pindad produced 10,000 SS1 guns and between 60 million and 100
million bullets annually, he said. Pindad sold its products to
TNI and the Ministry of Defense and Security Affairs. "Overseas
sales were carried out based on a government-to-government deal,"
he said, assuring that the safety of the transported weapons was
guaranteed.

"PT Pindad has never made deals with individuals or private
companies," he said. (nur/25/sur)