Probe into fatal shooting demanded

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A number of Aceh provincial councillors said on Friday they could not accept the reasons given by the police for the fatal shooting of a student and demanded a thorough investigation into the case.

"We deplore this incident and demand that the law enforcers bring the shooter to justice," one of the councillors, Mukhlis Mukhtar, said as quoted by Antara.

His fellow councillor, Muhammad Saleh, joined the chorus of condemnation, saying the police apology should not stop the legal process from going ahead.

A police officer, identified only as Brig. AS, opened fire on Muhammad Iqbal, a chemical engineering student at Syah Kuala University, on Thursday following a minor traffic accident involving the two in front of Baitturahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh.

Iqbal was shot in the head and died later in the day at the Zainal Abidin Hospital. Iqbal's body was buried on Friday.

Aceh Police chief Insp. Gen. Yusuf Manggabarani apologized for the incident and promised to severely punish his errant subordinate, who is now under detention.

Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Dede Ahmad said AS had fired a warning shot before he finally gunned down Iqbal at an intersection in Ateuk Pahlawan subdistrict on the outskirts of Banda Aceh.

Saleh said the officer should not have shot Iqbal.

Some witnesses said the student had his arms up before he was shot.

"Even if the police officer was forced to open fire, he should not have aimed at the student's head but at some other part of his body so as to immobilize him," Saleh said.

Mukhlis said there was no justification for the officer's act, despite the fact that Aceh came was tightly controlled by the military and police due to the continuing separatist campaign in the province.

"The police, as the institution mandated to control security here, should enforce the law and protect people," Mukhlis said.

Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute director Rufriadi said the police chief's apology should be followed by legal action against AS.

"We hope the case won't be settled within the police force. The officer must be brought to trial as the case will serve as a test of professionalism in the police force," Rufriadi said.

Law No. 2/2002 on the National Police stipulates that an officer who commits a crime is to be tried in the local district court instead of a military tribunal as happened in the past.