Police conduct internal inquiry over Bogor murders
JAKARTA (JP): National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said on Tuesday that the police were conducting their own internal investigation following Monday's fatal burning and stabbing of two police officers over the accidental fatal shooting of a worker.
"The murdered officers were part of an undercover operation to apprehend gambling operators in the Prumpung village of Gunung Sindur district. The officers were in plainclothes," Didi told reporters on Tuesday.
"Somehow, the gambling operators knew beforehand who these police officers were. They knew in advance about the raid."
Togel or toto gelap, is a lottery based on four numbers released every two or three days by dozens of gambling operators.
"The internal investigation is being carried out to find out who leaked the vital information that a raid was going to be conducted there," Didi said.
Second Brig. Joko Wiyono, 24, and Second Brig. Agus Budiono, 22, of the National Police Crime Intelligence Unit, were murdered by angry Gunung Sindur district residents on Monday, after the officers reportedly panicked and shot a woman dead.
It is a known fact here that most gambling operators pay a substantial amount of money to the local police in their area to keep their businesses going. The practice includes police officers notifying gambling operators in advance of police raids, minutes before they take place.
Didi added that Monday's undercover operation team comprised four police officers from the crime intelligence unit, including a commissioner and a first lieutenant.
However, he did not identify the commissioner and the lieutenant who fled the scene, leaving their subordinates -- the two brigadiers -- to face alone the wrath of the residents.
Arrest
Meanwhile, Bogor Police have arrested four men as suspects and are hunting down four more in connection with the incident.
Bogor Police Chief Sr. Comr. Taufik Ridha identified the four arrested suspects as Cibinong district residents, Ujang bin Sahari alias Bodong, 42, Ma'ruf bin Soleh, 34, Febrian Gunawan, 16, and Ujang Soleh alias Aleh, 44.
Taufik identified the four remaining suspects still at large as Yadi, Djunaedi, Amir and Bawi.
"The officer who was burned was Agus. Joko was the one who was stabbed," Taufik told reporters on Tuesday.
He said police officers were about to conduct a raid against a togel operation run by Bawi, when suddenly, gambling operators in the area started to shout "Thief! Thief!", while pointing at the officers.
The action provoked the local residents to run after the officers, Taufik said.
"The officers panicked, and started to flee. At the same time, workers from a nearby salt-producing factory were leaving to go home. One of them was Siti Warsiti. Agus and Joko, who were in a state of panic, started to fire shots. One shot hit Siti above her eye," Taufik said.
"When the local people saw that Siti was dead, they went crazy."
The officers then took shelter in the house of a neighborhood community head, Arsyad, but a large number of people surrounded and stoned the house, before dragging them out and killing them.
"The dead officers' guns, identification cards, six active bullets and four bullet shells were secured by suspects Ujang and Aleh, who handed them over to the Gunung Sindur police subprecinct," Taufik said.
The body of officer Joko was flown to his hometown in Salatiga, Central Jakarta, while that of Agus was taken to Ngawi in East Java, on Tuesday.
Two Gegana bomb squad members from the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police became the last victims of mob attacks when at least 500 local residents of Karang Sambung Nagasari village, in Bekasi beat them and set fire on them in December 1999. Some analysts believe the incident reflected the growing animosity against and distrust in police among people. (ylt/21)