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)