Police officer jailed for adultery
JAKARTA (JP): A military tribunal sentenced yesterday two policemen to six months and seven months in jail, for adultery and dealing in stolen vehicles.
A panel of three judges, led by Army Col. Imron Anwari, said in their verdict that the defendants, Chief Corporal M. Idrus Mali, 45, and Second Sergeant Sohandi, 26, acted against their oath, and have tarnished the image of the Indonesian Armed Forces.
But they were assured that they would retain their job after having completed their jail terms.
Idrus was found guilty of buying and selling two cars, with incomplete documents, in 1992. He admitted that he earned about Rp 1 million (US$447) from the illegal transactions.
"I had to do it because I needed more money to support my family," Idrus, a father of six children, told the court.
The monthly wage for a policeman of his rank is about Rp 100,000.
Sohandi was found guilty of having sexual relations with his married landlady twice, in Serang, West Java, in 1992 and 1993.
The judges said that Sohandi and his landlady had sexual relations in the tourist resort of Carita Beach and the backyard of her husband's house.
They said the defendant deserved a more lenient sentence than the seven months demanded by the prosecutors because the landlady was a consenting partner.
Earlier, prosecutor Maj. Aries had sought seven months imprisonment for Idrus and Sohandi both. The defendants asked the court for time to decide if they would or would not appeal.
According to the prevailing laws, defendants are considered to accept the verdict if they fail to report on their decision seven days after the day of sentencing.
Yesterday's trial at City Police Headquarters was the first round of trials for a total of 15 policemen, from Jakarta and West Java, for various law violations.
The trials, held regularly by Jakarta Military Court II-08 once every three-month, will last until Thursday.
The military tribunal will sentence today Chief Sergeant Dwi Marhanendi Mujianto, 33, from the Tanjung Priok police; Second Private Ismet Nur Kampai, 26, from National Police Headquarters; First Sergeant Abu Hanifah, 35, from the East Jakarta police; First Private Didin Saefudin, 32, from the Cilegon police in West Java; Second Sergeant Joni, 29, from City Police Headquarters; and Second Sergeant Agus Samtani, 48, from the Serang police in West Java.
Policemen to stand trial tomorrow are Second Sergeant Sudarmanto, 26, from City Police Headquarters; Second Sergeant Suyud Pramino, 27, also from City Police Headquarters; Second Sergeant Supriadin, 31, from the Lebak police in West Java; and Second Lieutenant Sudaryanto, 40, from National Police Headquarters.
On Thursday, the judges will try First Sergeant Juna Sapdian, 49, from the Cilegon police; First Sergeant R. Danu Sugito, 36, of the West Jakarta police; and Second Corporal Maman Hermansyah, 31, of City Police Headquarters.
They are suspected of being involved in various criminal acts, including theft, document forgery, taking another wife, acts of violence, corruption and fencing.
Only a few of the suspects are being defended by lawyers. "It would be of no use to be defended by a lawyer because in the military, we just follow orders and obey anything we are told to do by our senior," an officer said.(bsr)