Officers warned against bribes and extortion
Officers warned against bribes and extortion
JAKARTA (JP): The National Police Force reiterated their intention to take stern actions against officers involved in extortion, taking bribes from the public, or other misconduct.
"There will be no excuse for those who are found guilty," National Police chief spokesman Brig. Gen. I.K. Ratta said on Saturday.
He was commenting on media reports alleging the increasing number of city police personnels asking for huge amounts of money from driver's license applicants and people reporting the loss of their land documents.
In the past few days, local newspapers have reported that people are being forced to spend extra money to get vehicle documents, driver's licenses and land certificates at the City Police Headquarters.
People applying for documents for vehicles brought in from another part of the country have reportedly been asked to pay almost 10 times more than the official rate of Rp 16,000 (US$7.30) at the concerned counter at the police office. The applicants then have to spend even more cash at a number of other counters before getting the document approved.
Driver's license applicants are reported to have to spend two or three times more than the official rate of around Rp 60,000 to get them.
Those, who want to get a formal letter from the police concerning the loss of land certificates are asked to pay Rp 350,000 per 200 square-meter plot of land.
"We serve you and you have to serve us too," a sergeant in charge of the processing of missing land certificates told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.
Municipality
People also have been complaining about the jumbo illegal fees set by municipality officials in charge of issuing land ownership certificates and related documents.
Even to invite an officer of the National Land Agency (BPN) to measure a plot of land, a land owner has to spend much more than the official rate.
Vice chairman of the City Council Ismunandar believes there is a powerful network among corrupt officials responsible for public services.
Ismunandar said that the goodwill of the public to process the documents on their own should be welcomed by the officials rather than manipulated.
He, therefore, called on all responsible officials to take harsh measures against the crooked personnel.
Welcome
Ratta said he welcomed any complaints about illegal activities among police officers as long as the person reporting them could prove the allegations because "there's no law which allows police officers to take money in a personal capacity from the public"
"We need the names and the ranks of the officers, together with the day of the event. The person complaining should send all of this information in a letter to PO Box 777 Jakarta," he said. "We vow to withhold the names of the sources."
According to the one-star general, the National Police never tolerate crooked officers. "Therefore, we need accurate data to arrest them."
Ratta said the Jakarta City Police has punished and fired a number of its officers. The punitive action is announced every month in a ceremony at the headquarters, he added.
"We never tend to promote, nor hide, such a negligent officer," Ratta said.
He realized that police supervisors would not know the attitudes of their staff if they got no reports from the public who need their services.
The investigation of a case will be carried out mostly after receiving reasonable public complaints and media reports, he guaranteed. (bsr)