Polri Continues to Process Criminal and Ethical Cases

MARINA EKATARI

Putri Candrawati, wife of Inspector General Ferdy Sambo,

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Indonesian National Police (Polri) continues to process criminal and ethical cases in the murder of Brigadier J or Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat. On Friday (Aug. 26), a special team of the National Police began investigating Insp. Gen. Ferdy Sambo's wife, Putri Candrawati, as a suspect.

When she was named a suspect last week, Putri applied for a seven-day leave on grounds of being sick. Therefore, she was not immediately detained.

Allegations of ethical violations committed by a number of police officers in this case are also being processed. In addition to having handed down a sanctioned decision to dishonorably discharge Ferdy Sambo as a police officer, on Friday morning, the National Police also prepared a trial for violations of the code of ethics for 34 police officers.

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Putri started to undergo examination as a suspect at the National Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) in Jakarta on Friday at 11:00 a.m., accompanied by her lawyer, Arman Hanis and his team. Twelve hours later, at 11:00 p.m., Putri was still undergoing an examination.

As stated by National Police Chief Gen. (Pol) Listyo Sigit Prabowo in a hearing at Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Wednesday (Aug. 24), an examination of Putri is needed to determine the motive for the murder of Brig. J.

The trigger could possibly be sexual harassment or infidelity.

At the meeting, Listyo mentioned that it was Putri who knew about the incident in Magelang, Central Java, which was said to be the trigger for the murder. The trigger could possibly be sexual harassment or infidelity.

Putri is the fifth person named as a suspect in the Brig. J murder case. Previously, the National Police special team determined Sambo with Bhayangkara Dua (Second Patrolman) E or Richard Eliezer Pudihang Lumiu, Brig. Ricky Rizal and Kuat Ma'ruf who worked at Sambo’s house, as suspects in this murder.

On Friday evening, the Head of the National Police's Public Relations Division, Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo, said that Putri was given permission to return home if her examination was completed. Furthermore, the examination of Putri will continue on Wednesday (Aug. 31) with the agenda of confronting Putri's statements with four other suspects.

However, according to Dedi, previously investigators would conduct a reconstruction of Brig. J’s murder at Sambo’s official residence at the Police Complex, Duren Tiga in South Jakarta. The reconstruction will be attended by the five suspects, the public prosecutor, as well as the National Police Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.

MARINA EKATARI

The Director of General Crimes at the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police Brigadier General Andi Rian conveyed the development of the sexual harassment report submitted by Inspector General Ferdy Sambo's wife, Putri Candrawathi.

Regarding Putri's detention, previously the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police, Comr. Gen. Agus Andrianto said investigators would consider various aspects, including the condition of Putri, who has a child aged 1.5 years.

Meanwhile, Kamaruddin Simanjuntak, the lawyer for Brig. J’s family, reported Putri and Sambo to the Bareskrim on suspicion of making a false report regarding allegations that Brig. J threatened to harass and kill Putri. The report was submitted with the back-up of a letter to terminate the investigation by the Bareskrim against reports of an allegation of harassment and attempted murder by Brig. J against Putri, which had been submitted by Sambo to the South Jakarta Police.

Kamaruddin said that on suspicion of making a false report, Sambo and Putri could be charged with Article 317, Article 318 in conjunction with Article 55 and Article 56 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).

Ethics trial

In regard to the violation of the code of ethics, the Police Code of Ethics Commission (KKEP) has imposed a dishonorable dismissal of Sambo as a member of the National Police on Friday morning. The verdict was delivered after going through a closed trial for 16 hours by presenting 15 witnesses, from Thursday (Aug. 25) to Friday morning, at the Transnational Crime Center Building, Police Headquarters in Jakarta.

Responding to the verdict, Sambo admitted that he had violated the Police's code of ethics. However, he appealed against the ethics trial's verdict.

The verdict was read by the Head of the National Police Intelligence and Security Agency, Comr. Gen. Ahmad Dofiri, as the head of KKEP. Responding to the verdict, Sambo admitted that he had violated the Police's code of ethics. However, he appealed against the ethics trial's verdict.

The Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police, Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo, said that to follow up on Sambo's appeal, he was waiting for an order from the National Police Chief. Meanwhile, he added, the National Police is preparing a trial for violating the code of ethics for 34 police officers who are suspected of obstructing the investigation of Brig. J’s murder case.

“There are 34 suspected violators who in the next 30 days will conduct a marathon ethics trial," he said.

DOKUMENTASI HUMAS POLRI

The Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police, Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo

Police observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies, Bambang Rukminto, said that the results of the KEPP’s ethical trial decision became a recommendation. Because Sambo is a high-ranking officer, the one who has the authority to dismiss him is the President. The KKEP's ethical trial decision will be conveyed by the National Police Chief to the President. Furthermore, it is the President who decides whether the recommendation for dishonorable discharge is implemented or not. (DEA/NAD/BOW/PDS)

(This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo)