Police deny giving suspect special treatment
Police deny giving suspect special treatment
JAKARTA (JP): The Tanjung Priok port police denied giving special treatment to an alleged mastermind of a luxury car smuggling attempt.
Lt. Col. Timbul Sianturi, the chief of the port town police office, told The Jakarta Post the accusation made by Jakarta lawyer Palmer Situmorang, was groundless.
Recently, Agus Komali and two employees of the Custom and Excise Office, were arrested on charges of trying to take the 40- foot container containing smuggled vehicles out of the Tanjung Priok port using false documents.
Last week Situmorang, who represents Agus, sent a letter to the national police chief accusing the Tanjung Priok police of giving special treatment to a criminal suspect involved in the case.
In the letter the lawyer said his client had been hired to take a container of smuggled vehicles out of the port by the mastermind of the smuggling attempt.
The container, shipped from Singapore, contained a Mercedes Benz 500 Cl sedan, a Porsche sport car and three Honda Hurricane motorbikes.
"I wonder why Dony, the mastermind, is free, while Agus Komali Hartono, my client, was arrested," Situmorang said in the letter.
Situmorang said Dony should also have been arrested for his role in the smuggling attempt and that his client was only a mediator.
"But the police have taken no action against Dony, who has been going to and leaving the police station freely," he said.
Timbul said those who accused the police of providing special privilege to certain parties might have no idea of the case and how the police work.
"Let the lawyer say whatever he wants. We'll only make a statement after we have completed our investigation," he said.
According to Timbul, Situmorang should see the case from two distinct aspects: stealing a container and a smuggling attempt.
Timbul said that according to law, importers must pay around 150 percent surcharges to the government for importing luxury vehicles.
He added that Agus, the lawyer's client, had cooperated with the police investigation into the smuggling attempt.
According to Situmorang, Dony provided Agus with Rp 26 million to help process the container's release from the harbor through the Custom and Excise Office.
"Whatever happened," Timbul said, "the investigation on the smuggling attempt has yet to be completed."
"We welcome any information from the public, including lawyers," Timbul said. (bsr)