Seven nabbed for trying to bribe police officers

JAKARTA (JP): Police announced yesterday that they have collared seven people, including four traffic violators, for attempting to bribe officers on duty.

"Don't ever bribe traffic police anymore. Otherwise, you shall be collared like those people," Col. Soeroso, chief of the traffic directorate at the city police headquarters, told reporters.

The arrest indicated the police department's determination to crack down on what is popularly known as "on-the-road peace settlements", where traffic violators bribe policemen in exchange for not confiscating their vehicle documents.

Of the seven people, four were arrested for attempting to bribe on duty officers after being ticketed, while the rest were apprehended for trying to bribe officers at the drivers' license bureau at the city police headquarters in order to facilitate the application process.

The four traffic violators were identified as Suparman, 29, a driver of a private company who was carrying his employer and his ill son to hospital; Dada Juhanda, 30, a conductor of the Mayasari Bhakti public bus plying the Blok M-Pulau Gadung route; Gada Wijaya, 59, a motorist; and Pahlawan, also a motorist.

The three who were arrested for trying to bribe officers at the drivers' license bureau were identified as Tugiyo, 29, Suparmo, 47, and Mrs. Kusuma Wuryaningsih, 36.

Traffic signs

Suparman sought to bribe an officer who ticketed him Rp 5,000 (US$2.3) for violating traffic signs at the Harmoni intersection, Central Jakarta.

While Dada Juhanda reportedly offered a Rp 5,000 bribe to on duty officers when his bus broke a certain traffic law at CSW, South Jakarta. The officers drove him to the investigative directorate.

Mrs. Kusuma Wuryaningsih admitted to having given a Rp 15,000 ($6.90) bribe to an officer at the driver's license bureau to smoothen the process of the application of her driving license.

"I had an appointment to meet a friend so I wanted the renewal of my driving license finished quickly," the woman told interrogators during the questioning.

All seven suspects were charged with breaking criminal code chapter 209 on attempting to bribe on duty officers and as such could incur maximum two-year jail terms.

Soeroso said that as part of introspective measures he has given instructions to all of the 1,500 traffic officers at the City Police not to accept bribes. He promised any officers who shunned bribes a reward of up to twice as much as the bribe offered them.

Soeroso said the operation cleansing run by the directorate does not only target the motorists but also delinquent officers. For that purpose, police deploy thousands of intelligence and military police to keep an eye on traffic police officers on duty.

He also called on the public to report errant officers via police PO Box 7777, or in person to the police headquarters. But the reports should be coupled with the existence of witnesses or evidence. (jsk)