Officers fired over campus attack

Officers fired over campus attack

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar

A police disciplinary committee dismissed here on Monday three
high-ranking officers in South Sulawesi from their posts for
their roles in a recent brutal attack on the Indonesian Muslim
University (UMI), Makassar.

The committee also ordered the detention of the three police
officers for 12 days to 17 days in the custody of the province
police internal affairs division.

The three fired were deputy Panakkukang Police precinct chief
First Insp. Yeri Santos Mangiri, East Makassar Police chief of
the guidance and disciplinary unit First Insp. IF Erwanto and
East Makassar Police chief of service unit Second Insp. Aldi
Subartono.

Yeri and Erwanto were detained for 17 days, and Aldi for only
14 days.

Commissioner Adj. Comr. Machmud Abduh also heard a similar
case against former acting Panakkukang Police chief Adj. Comr. SA
Parambungan, and ordered him detained for only 12 days for the
same disciplinary offense.

The four officers were punished for their involvement in the
May 1 attack on the UMI campus, which left 65 students injured.

Machmud said the four were proven "legally and convincingly"
guilty of breaching discipline, rules and legislation on the
National Police.

They had not prevented their subordinates from storming the
university, which tarnished the image and honor of the police
force, he added.

When Machmud gave the punished officers an opportunity to
defend themselves during the six-hour hearing from 12 a.m. they
cried, which was also an emotional moment for the spectators.

In their defense, the suspects protested against what they
termed unfair treatment over the brutality.

Parambungan said many other police officers had played a role
in the same incident but remained free as they were not
questioned or tried. He did not elaborate.

However, lawyer for the four offenders, Adj. Sr. Comr. Darma,
said their clients accepted the punishment.

The same committee is scheduled to hear similar cases against
six other high-ranking police officers in South Sulawesi over the
same attack. No date has been specified.

Earlier last week, the committee also ordered the detention of
12 other police officers from lower ranks over the incident.

Separately, South Sulawesi Police chief of internal affairs
and security Sr. Comr. Syahrir Kuba said that of 22 officers
declared suspects in the incident, only 10 would stand trial in a
civilian court on charges of violating Articles 351 and 170 the
Criminal Code.