Rogue officers held, discharged
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
A police deserter was detained on Wednesday for allegedly robbing a shop in Medan, North Sumatra, while the local military dishonorably discharged two soldiers for other criminal offenses.
The police suspect, Brig. Mangansah Purba, allegedly robbed a cellular phone shop on Jl. Brigjen Katamso.
Medan Police chief Adj. Comr. Irwan Anwar said the robbery took place at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Mangansah, dressed in regular clothes, had pretended to buy a cellular phone from the Ponsel Kartika shop.
When the shop owner showed him a range of cell phones, the suspect pocketed one of them and tried to run away, Irwan added.
"The shop owner cried out for help. Shortly after, residents chased and arrested the suspect. They later beat and kicked him. As he was severely injured, he admitted to being a policeman but the residents did not believe him," he said.
Irwan said the residents took Mangansah to the Medan Police station along with a Nokia cell phone and a Honda GL Pro motorcycle.
The suspect is being detained by the police for questioning.
Mangansah, who was recently transferred from Pancur Batu Police station to Kutalimbaru police station in Padang, had been wanted by the police for alleged desertion for the past three weeks.
"We will deal with the case thoroughly, so he (Mangansah) faces legal sanctions ... He will be punished for his crime," Irwan said.
The suspect, he said, would be charged under Article 363 of the Criminal Code on theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
North Sulawesi Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Bambang Prihady said on Wednesday, that it was the second robbery case in the province involving police officers in the past four months.
Last May, two policemen were arrested and discharged from their force for robbing a businessman in Binjai city, he added.
"This year alone, some 40 cases of disciplinary offenses involving police officers are being tried in court. Most of them are desertion cases and some are related to extortion," Bambang said.
Also on Wednesday, Bukit Barisan Military Commander Maj. Gen. Tri Tamtomo, overseeing security in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Riau, discharged two soldiers -- First Pvt. Ismed Siregar, 32, and First Corp. Supriyanto, 32.
Ismed was dismissed from the military for engaging in a love affair with the wife of his military colleague, and Supriyanto for possessing crystal methamphetamine (shabu-shabu) and an illegal firearm.
"Their deeds embarrassed the Indonesian Military, so they deserve to be discharged," Tri said after a ceremony to dismiss them at the Yonif Armed/105 military office's grounds in Deli Tua, Deli Serdang.
He said that his office has held similar ceremonies on 60 occasions to discharge an unspecified number of soldiers in 2004.
Tri vowed to continue tightening control over his subordinates.
"We dismiss those guilty of legal violations as a warning to other soldiers," he said.