INDONESIAN ARMY PRAISED FOR TRANSPARENCY IN INVESTIGATING PRISON RAID by Fardah

     Jakarta, April 5 , 2013 (Antara) - Ten days after the shocking raid at Cebongan penitentiary by armed masked men who killed for detainees, the Indonesian Army (TNI)'s investigation team announced the identities of the attackers to the public.

         "The attack was carried out by members of the army, in this case members of the Indonesian Army's special forces Kopassus Group 3 Kartosuro," the chief of army investigators for the case, Brigadier General Unggul K Yudhoyono, said at a press conference in Jakarta, on April 4, 2013.

          Eleven members of Kopassus were involved in the raid at the Cebongan penitentiary, and one of them acted as the executor, eight others as supporters, while two others had actually tried to prevent the attack, he said. 
     "The executor is known by his initial as U. Nine of them are non-commissioned and enlisted officers," he said, adding that the 11 officers admitted they were involved in the crime.

          "The perpetrators are ready to take the responsibility of their action and we will conduct a thorough investigation," he stated.

         He explained that the attack was done spontaneously on March 23, 2013 in response to the killing of Kopassus member chief sergeant Heru Santoso at Hugo's Cafe on March 19 and an attack on former Kopassus member first sergeant Sriyono by the four thugs.

        For killing chief sergeant Santoso and injuring first sergeant Sriyono, the four thugs had been arrested and detained by the police, at the prison which was later raided by the masked men.

        Three institutions, namely the police, the military and the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) have investigated incident.

         Since the army's investigation team was set up on March 29, 2013, the investigators had visited several places including the penitentiary, the Yogyakarta Military Command and the Kopassus Group II headquarters in Karang Menjangan, Solo, and questioned at least 25
people.

         Komnas HAM, which considers the attack as a serious human rights violation, has not announced the result of its investigation.

        Following the announcement of the results of the army's investigation, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his appreciation to the Indonesian Army's team for making progress in their work.

         The head of sate continuously supports transparent investigation and said those conducting the attack must be punished, according to Daniel Sparingga, the president's special staff in charge of political communication in an e-mailed message on April 5, 2013.

         The president encouraged the law enforcement process and emphasized that the rule of law must be respected, he added.

         "No one should be immune to law in this country," Sparingga said quoting the president.

       President Yudhoyono instructed that all Indonesian military personnel, particularly its commanders in every level must make sure that their soldiers maintain discipline and the corps' honor.

         The head of state also instructed the National Police to eradicate thuggery and other criminal organizations to make the public feel safe, Sparingga added.

         "All streets and public places must be clean from any kind of thuggery that could threaten life and property. People must feel safe wherever and whenever - either daylight or night. It's time to reiterate our commitment to the rule of law," Daniel Sparingga said.

          On March 26, 2013, President Yudhoyono said the Cebongan incident was an attack on  state authority.

         "Besides seriously threatening the public's sense of security the raid has also damaged the general public's trust in the law supremacy," Sparingga said quoting the head of state.

           Therefore, he ordered the national police chief, General Timur  Pradopo, to unveil the perpetrators and assure that all involved in the raid were brought to justice.

         He said President Yudhoyono had also instructed the commander of the defense forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, to assure that all his men would give full cooperation to help the police unveil the identities of the perpetrators.

          The President said the state authority must be restored and public's confidence in the rule of law must not drop due to the incident, he said.

          The head of state earlier instructed that the investigation must be carried out transparently, accountably and professionally.

          Other people who praised the army's investigation team included legislator Aboebakar Al Habsy, Chairman of Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin, and Andi Widjojanto, a defense analyst of the University of Indonesia (UI).

         "The Army's investigation team has worked fast so it ended a speculation and disinformation being circulated in the public regarding who was behind the attack at Cebongan Prison in Sleman," Aboebakar Al Habsy, a member of the House of Representatives
(DPR)'s Commission III, said in Jakarta on April 5, 2013.

         The lawmaker expressed his appreciation to the Army's team for successfully disclosing the attack incident in relatively short time, and for being transparent in reporting the result to the public.

         He, however, said the case could become a "bad present" for the Army's special forces, Kopassus, which will celebrate its anniversary on April 16, 2013, although the unauthorized attack had been done by several officers of Kopassus at their personal capacity.

         The lawmaker hoped that the case would not affect other members of Kopassus, which is one of the world's best special forces after Britain's SAS and Israel's Mossad, according to Discovery Channel Military.

         Andi Widjajanto lauded the Army's announcement of the investigation's results as a positive sign of increased transparency in the military.

        "During the New Order era, a unit like this would have never been caught. And even if they did, they would get off with impunity," he said as reported by the Jakarta Globe.

        Another appreciation also came from Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto who lauded the Army's commitment to getting to the bottom of the case.

        "I hope the commitment shown will help counter the pessimism and skepticism from some quarters that this case would never be fully resolved," the minister said.

         Meanwhile, Chief of the Indonesian Police General Timur Pradopo said the police will stop  the investigation process of the prison attack, and hand it over to the Indonesian Military.

         "It won't be continued, we will leave it fully to the TNI," Pradopo said on April 5, 2013.

         The police will present all proofs and documents to the military police of the Army because the incident involves military officers and they will face military court.

        Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar, a spokesman of the Indonesian police, on separate occasion, confirmed to the press that the police would stay away from the case and leave it to the military police.

        The National Police respected the hard work of the Indonesian Military's investigation team and will continue to support the team for the success of the ongoing legal process of the case, Amar added. ***2***
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(T.F001/A/F. Assegaf/A/A. Abdussalam) 05-04-2013 16:05:07