Nine shadowy soldiers get the axe

Nine shadowy soldiers get the axe

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Nine Army personnel in East Nusa Tenggara were said to be dismissed for various violations but none was present in a ceremony to mark their dismissal from the military service in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara on Monday.

Col. Moeswarno Moesanip, chief of the Wirasakti Military District overseeing security in the province, said some of them were currently in jail, but the others had escaped, their whereabouts unknown.

"The most important thing, though, is that the nine have been dismissed administratively from military service," he said in the ceremony.

Moesanip read out the nine names, but did not mention their violations.

Meanwhile, during the ceremony, 277 other servicemen received a rank promotion for good performance.

"Those who achieve good performance will get promotions, but those who have damaged the military's image must be punished," he said.

Moesanip also disclosed that 20 more servicemen in the province were facing a dismissal for similar violations. He said he was awaiting approval for their dismissal from the Indonesian Military Headquarters in Jakarta. --Antara