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.