Retired general supports police probe of son

JAKARTA (JP): The city police have received the support of the family of Lt. Gen. (ret) Z.A. Maulani in its investigation of Maulani's son, who was arrested on Wednesday, an officer said.

Haryogi Maulana, the son of the former chief of the State Intelligence Coordinating Body, was arrested in a hotel in West Jakarta for possession of drugs and weapons without a permit.

Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said on Thursday the family had not asked the police to give special treatment to Haryogi.

"The family has not told me anything, except that they support the police investigation," Nurfaizi said.

Haryogi was arrested by West Jakarta Police detectives in the early hours of Wednesday. The suspect was found in the possession of an unloaded AK-47, serial number 4857, and its magazine, a loaded Colt Walther, number 271759, and a small packet of white powder believed to be a drug.

Shortly afterward, the police announced the arrest and the suspect's family connections.

After questioning the suspect, the West Jakarta Police transferred Haryogi and all the evidence in his case to the Jakarta Police intelligence unit.

The support voiced by Maulani and his family for the police investigation is something of a surprising attitude here.

In many cases involving powerful and well-connected suspects, there is perceived interference in the police investigation.

Nurfaizi said his men were probing the source of the AK-47 found in Haryogi's possession.

"We are trying to find out where Haryogi got the AK-47. Whichever name comes out, we'll investigate that person.

"We need to find where those weapons came from, and who used them before they got into the hands of Haryogi," the newly appointed city police chief said.

Nurfaizi also urged the public not to politicize the arrest of Haryogi.

Separately, South Jakarta Police chief of detectives Maj. Rycko Amelza Daniel said on Thursday his officers had arrested the son of a police colonel, along with four of his associates, for the possession and use of shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine). The five suspects were arrested in a rented room in the National Police housing complex on Jl. Pengadegan Utara Raya in Pancoran on Wednesday.

Rycko said one of the suspects, Rudi Nur Farid, 23, was the son of an active colonel at National Police Headquarters.

"We didn't care. We caught this boy and his friends in a drug party. We could not let them go," Rycko said.

However, he declined to give the name of the suspect's father.

Rycko identified the other four suspects as security guard Daud bin Yahya, 32, Ali bin Sumardi, 32, Solihin Daeng Tutu, 23, and Taslih, 26.

According to Pancoran Police chief Maj. Sutanto, the rented room was frequently used for "drug parties".

"The times for the drug parties were also set ... they used to use it like some hotel room. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and then between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and last at about 7:30 p.m.," Sutanto said.

Separately, South Jakarta Police detectives fired on and wounded a former Army officer on Sunday night. The former officer, a suspected drug dealer, was shot at his residence on Jl. Pengadilan Timur in Pancoran.

Police found 4.9 grams of pure heroin and at least 10 packets of putauw (low-grade heroin) in Muhayat's home. (ylt)