Trisakti guns to undergo more tests
Trisakti guns to undergo more tests
JAKARTA (JP): The National Police agreed yesterday to allow
the National Police Forensic Laboratory (Puslabfor) to reexamine
21 guns used during the Trisakti University shooting incident, an
officer said yesterday.
The head of the Trisakti investigation team/Jakarta Military
Police chief, Col. Hendardji, said after a meeting with National
Police Chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi that the reexamination would be
held in coordination with independent ballistic experts from the
metallurgy mechanics laboratory at the Bandung Institute of
Technology (ITB) and state-owned weapons manufacturer PT Pindad.
The 21 guns -- 10 SS-1 rifles and 11 Steyr-AUGs -- are
currently at Puslabfor awaiting further investigation.
"Why the reexamination? Because we felt that Puslabfor has
been very secretive over the guns' examination. As investigators,
we want to watch the scientific process and feel confident that
none of the results were engineered," Hendardji told The Jakarta
Post.
"The investigation is scheduled to start Monday. Basically we
want to match the two bullets found at the scene of the Trisakti
incident with the 21 guns.
The investigation team into the incident on May 12 in which
four Trisakti University students died has disclosed that it
identified two of the types of guns, SS-1 and Steyr AUG-P rifles,
used in the fray.
Two bullets were also examined by experts from PT Pindad and
the ITB metallurgy mechanics laboratory.
"Based on ballistic tests carried out on the two bullets
collected as evidence, it can be concluded that Heri Hartanto,
one of the students killed, was shot by a Steyr rifle," Hendardji
said.
One of the two bullets was removed from Heri's body, while the
second, fired from a SS-1 rifle, was recovered near a glass door
in the Sjarif Thayeb building in the university complex.
"We have identified the guns and now we want to match the
bullets with the 21 guns held at Puslabfor. The result will
reveal the truth about who did the fatal shooting."
National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar told media
after the meeting that Puslabfor is currently still conducting
ballistic tests on the 21 guns.
"Such an examination cannot be rushed. So you have to be
patient... we have agreed to conduct a joint investigation with
the military police. Hopefully the truth will reveal itself,"
Da'i said.
The dispute over the investigation of the fatal shooting case
emerged a month ago due to the delay in obtaining the ballistic
tests results.
So far only two police officers out of 18 suspects have been
brought before a military trial.
The two, First Lt. Agus Tri Heryanto and Second Lt. Pariyo,
both from the Jakarta Police Mobile Brigade Unit, are charged
under Article 103 of the Military Penal Code for committing an
undisciplined act.
"We want to bring the suspects who were allegedly involved
directly in the killing of the four students before the military
trial. Therefore it all depends on the ballistic tests results,"
Hendardji said.
Another agreement reached at yesterday's meeting was that the
police agreed to sign the decree to officially bring the 10 other
police officers named as suspects in the Trisakti incident before
a military tribunal.
The 10 police officers are currently detained at Jakarta
Military Police headquarters in Guntur, South Jakarta.
"The Mobile Brigade Commander (the 10 officers' boss) gave his
signature today.
"Therefore, it is for sure that all of those suspects will
face military tribunals. So far we have completed dossiers of
charges against five of them," Hendardji said.
He also said the 10 men admitted they were armed with Steyr-
AUGs, which were used by Gegana Police squad. "I am sure at least
one of them fired the fatal shot." (edt)