No more untouchables

How much do people trust our police and judicial system? About as much as a passing stranger in a dark alley at midnight.

This may sound extremely unfair to our esteemed police force, to the hardworking prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office and the sapient judges who preside over our courts. But this is the objective reality of how most Indonesians feel.

When a regular Joe Blow shoots a man at point-blank range in front of a handful of witnesses, few doubt -- while still adhering to the principle of "presumed innocence" -- that the suspect will face a severe jail sentence.

However, when power and money come into play, the parameters of justice seem to loosen.

The murder of Yohanes B.H. Natong, better known as Rudi, in the early hours of New Year's Day seems like a simple case for the police to resolve. Several witnesses can testify that they saw the bartender shot in the head by Adiguna Sutowo. Another witness saw the suspect after the shooting hand the gun to a friend who hastily left the scene of the crime.

This is no ordinary suspect though. Adiguna is a member of one of the most powerful families from the New Order era. His father, the late Ibnu Sutowo, was the head of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, ruling imperiously over the company's finances and driving it to the brink of bankruptcy. Adiguna's brother, Ponco, is one of the country's most successful businessmen and owns a large share of the Hilton Hotel, where the crime took place.

We have learned of discreet telephone conversations and text messages between senior officers of the National Police and the Jakarta Police with Adiguna's "people", including Ponco.

There is certainly no harm in establishing contact with investigating officers and we should certainly give the police every opportunity to pursue their investigation. However, this revelation does give rise to suspicion and speculation.

Adiguna is entitled to the best defense possible if he feels wrongly accused. Police, on the other hand, must conduct their investigation in the most thorough and timely manner possible, oblivious to the suspect's circle of influence.

Despite the seemingly overwhelming evidence -- which includes blood tests that confirm the suspect was on drugs at the time of the murder -- and the assertion of no less than President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that this crime is intolerable, there remains an uneasy feeling that if the public lets down its guard this case could eventually fade away into obscurity.

There have been too many cases of gun abuse reported over the past year involving well connected individuals whose cases were conveniently left in a state of abeyance.

It is important to remind our policemen and women of their sacred duty to serve and protect. To keep justice on track despite the pull of politics and money. And to ensure equality before the law irrespective of a person's rank in society.

Reformasi ushered in a new era for the police force. Their long coveted ambition to be separated from the military has been realized. Their role as the primary executors of national security has been acknowledged.

It is time to show with distinction they are worthy of the responsibilities handed to them.

For their part, the police have consciously attempted to professionalize and improve their image as guardians of civil order. But there is still a long way to go from acting like a trustworthy force to being a force that people feel they can entrust with their safety.

Strict adherence to investigative procedures in this case will help close this gap in trust.