New joint military-police team formed to probe Binjai attacks

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Police and Military Police in North Sumatra have formed a joint team to investigate the deadly attacks by members of the Army on police stations in Binjai, a senior officer said on Tuesday.

Separate fact-finding teams from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police headquarters are already investigating the incident that killed 11 people late last month.

North Sumatra Police chief detective Sr. Comr. Iskandar Hasan said the teams were tasked with gathering information and preliminary evidence on the attacks.

The joint provincial team would "back up the work" of the other teams, he said without elaborating.

"The establishment of the new team is needed because the focus of the investigation into the incident is in North Sumatra," Iskandar told The Jakarta Post at his office in the provincial capital of Medan.

"In principle, the new team will work in the field to gather evidence to find 'intellectual actors' behind the attacks in Binjai."

It remains unclear whether the joint team will investigate the incident's alleged links to the illegal drugs trade.

A group of soldiers from the airborne battalion attacked the Langkat Police station and the Mobile Brigade headquarters on Sept. 28 and Sept. 29.

The incident took place after police officers refused to release a drug trafficker said to be backed by the soldiers. Police said that during the attack 1.5 tons of marijuana, case dossiers and other important documents disappeared.

A further 61 suspected criminals held in the Langkat police station escaped.

Last week, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu dishonorably discharged 20 soldiers in connection with the attacks.

Iskandar said the decision to set up a local fact-finding team was the outcome of a meeting between the North Sumatra Police and provincial Military Police.

He said the new team, which consisted of dozens of senior officers, began its task on Tuesday.

Police would collect evidence on the involvement of police officers and civilians in the attack, while the Military Police would probe the role of the Army in the incident, said Iskandar, a co-chairman of the new team.