Uncertainty clouds probe into car smuggling ring
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A noted analyst expressed serious doubts on Wednesday over the objectivity of the investigation into a nationwide ring of luxury car smuggling involving senior police officers, arguing that it was highly unlikely that they acted alone.
Criminologist Adrianus Meliala of the University of Indonesia said that car smuggling could never take place without the help of police officers and customs and excise officials.
"Luxury car smuggling is a group act ... this requires a group of customs and excise officers and police officials to process the necessary documents and to keep their mouths shut," Adrianus told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
"It's going to be difficult for police detectives to set aside their loyalty towards the National Police, and probably the police officials involved, and conduct questioning of police officers and officials objectively," he said.
Adrianus was asked to comment on the planned questioning of former Jakarta Police chief Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb, who has been accused of smuggling 11 Mercedes Benz cars from Singapore at the end his tenure as South Sulawesi police chief in 2001.
The National Police had set up a team of investigators headed by Inspector General Comr. Gen. Ahwil Luthan, which was expected to summon Sofjan soon.
The probe is unprecedented, considering that it is one of a handful of criminal cases directly involving police generals investigated by police detectives as required by Police Law No. 2/2002.
Each provincial police chief is allowed to issue temporary vehicle documents, which are effective for up to three months, for security reasons.
Criminologist Mulyana W. Kusumah stressed the importance of public accountability and transparency in the investigation of this case, considering that police would be interrogating senior police officials.
"Other than the alleged involvement of Sofjan Jacoeb, which has been openly publicized, we do not know the identities or the number of civilians and police officers involved in this case," Mulyana said.
"What's worse is that Sofjan will first be called by police only to clarify his point of view. It will be an informal questioning before legal steps are taken to question him formally."
Speculation has been rife that the probe into Sofjan has more to do with his legal dispute with National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar over the mandatory retirement age, and not necessarily for purely legal motives.
Adrianus said that even though it might be common knowledge that luxury car importers had allegedly been in collusion with the National Police in the illegal importation, police had never made an issue of it when it involved generals or family members of generals, until this year.
"On one side, police have proof that there was this smuggling case... on the other, there was a legal dispute between Da'i and Sofjan. Sofjan was very vocal against Da'i. Even as Da'i may not have initiated this investigation, he would not have a problem in okaying it," Adrianus said.
He said that among the disadvantages of Law No. 2/2002 was that it clearly stipulated that a crime allegedly committed by a police officer would be investigated by police detectives.
"Even as the operational regulations have yet to be issued on the law... police have launched investigations into the case, which is a bit unfortunate, as it points at the true motive behind this investigation. It's a test case for police," Adrianus said, adding that the new law does not allow for the investigation of criminal cases involving the police to be taken over by state prosecutors.