South Sulawesi Police accuse Sofjan of abusing his former post
South Sulawesi Police accuse Sofjan of abusing his former post
Jupriadi and
Yogita Tahilramani
The Jakarta Post
Makassar/Jakarta
The South Sulawesi provincial legislature summoned the top local
police officers on Wednesday in connection with the alleged
involvement of former Provincial Police chief Comr. Gen. Sofjan
Jacoeb in the false registration of 11 luxury cars last year.
During the unprecedented hearing presided over by legislator
Ihsan Yasinc Limpo, Provincial Traffic Police chief Sr. Supt.
Zairin Bustami said there was evidence of power abuse committed
by Sofjan by ordering the traffic police to issue "temporary
vehicle ownership papers in his name for 11 Mercedes without a
mandatory physical check done on the vehicles".
"Aside from the fact that there were absolutely no physical
checks done on the vehicles before the documents were issued, the
cars were never operational in South Sulawesi even though they
had provincial registration numbers," Zairin told the hearing.
"This is a clear violation ... abuse of one's position. If a
police chief uses his position to abuse the law, a violation has
occurred."
Also present were representatives from Makassar Customs and
Excise.
Zairin said three of the ownership documents were issued on
May 3, five on May 15, two on May 17 and one on May 21 last year.
Sofjan was installed as the Jakarta Police chief on May 7, a
position he held for seven months before becoming the National
Resilience Institute inspector.
Reports said the luxury cars, all from between 1993 and 1997,
were smuggled out of Singapore. Some of the cars, which bear
single numbers, were seized separately in Jakarta recently.
The case surfaced on the heels of a legal battle that pits
Sofjan and some 160 officers against National Police chief Gen.
Da'i Bachtiar over the mandatory retirement age ruling. Da'i has
insisted on applying the former retirement age of 55, despite the
2000 Law on National Police, which extends police service to age
58 and, under certain circumstances, to 60.
Sofjan, Zairin said, had sent letters to the then Traffic
Police chief Adj. Sr. Supt. Eddy Prawoto to issue the temporary
vehicle ownership documents.
Following Zairin's statements, legislator Ambas Syam stated
that the South Sulawesi provincial legislative council was still
debating on whether to call Sofjan in for a separate hearing to
give his version of the story and to clarify the matter.
In Jakarta, National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward
Aritonang stated that among the 11 cars were a 1997 Mercedes SS
60 L bearing registration number DD 1 QK, which was confiscated
from the parking lot of the Mangga Dua shopping complex by City
Police detectives on May 3 of this year, and a 1995 Mercedes S
600, registered to a South Sulawesi Police chief, bearing
registration number DD 8 SJ.
Aritonang denied allegations that the investigation was in any
way linked to Sofjan's legal battle with the National Police.