Police conduct internal inquiry over Bogor murders

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)