Seven soldiers discharged for animal theft

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has dishonorably discharged seven of its personnel arrested for stealing six cows belonging to residents of Sulamu village in East Nusa Tenggara province, local TNI commanders said on Wednesday.

Udayana Military Commander Maj. Gen. William T. da Costa, who is responsible for security in NTT and Bali, said the seven soldiers were dismissed from the Army due to their involvement in the armed theft.

The official order for their discharge would soon be issued, he said.

The suspects are First Lt. A.H., the commander of the Naibonat military unit, and six of his subordinates.

William said A.H.'s unnamed superior would also be punished for allegedly allowing his subordinates to carry weapons without permits.

However, the form of the punishment had not been decided upon yet, he added.

William further said the accused soldiers had tarnished the TNI's reputation amid its efforts to boost its image, already reeling from accusations of human rights abuses and other crimes across the country.

The local Military Police have completed their investigation of the seven suspects, and their files were handed over to military prosecutors on Thursday.

Their trials are expected to be held soon in a military court, spokesman for Kupang's Wirasakti Military Command, Capt. Longginus Lelo, said.

He said the accused soldiers had "offended" military leaders in the province, adding that they had committed a big blunder as they used firearms to violate the law.

Wirasakti Military Commander Col. Moeswarno Moesanip had recommended that the seven soldiers be discharged from the TNI following the approval of the Udayana Military Commander.

The solder were caught red-handed last Sunday, along with seven civilian suspects, by Kupang Police. The arrests followed a complaint from local residents.

The military suspects shot the six cows dead before putting them on a truck to Naibonat. A group of villagers, claiming to be the cows' owners, stopped the truck in Sulamu and police officers then arrived to arrest the suspects.

Moesanip said the military had paid the owners a total of Rp 15 million in compensation for their stolen cattle. --JP