Protecting Police's Dignity, IPW Urges West Java Police To Solve Sumedang Case

JAKARTA - Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) hopes that the 76th Bhayangkara Day will be a momentum for the police to maintain dignity. Whoever the leader is, the National Police must not slack off to maintain the dignity of the Police institution which has the motto "Rastra Sewakottama".

One of them is to immediately resolve the alleged case of taking water without a permit as well as the alleged sale of water to industry for eight years without a permit by PT DFT in Sumedang.

"Regarding the alleged case of taking water without a permit and the alleged sale to the industry without a permit, the Police, in this case, the West Java Police, must act immediately. If the eight years have not been completed, the Police must confirm their position, whether this is a case of meeting the elements or not. If it meets the elements, it must be immediately brought to trial," said IPW Chairman Sugeng Teguh Santoso in his statement, Monday, July 4.

Sugeng emphasized that the alleged PT DFT case had to be resolved. The reason is, that the alleged violations committed are real.

"Water belongs to the public and only BUMN or BUMD can manage it. For example, if it comes from a spring that does not belong to the company, that is the theft of the name. If there is a loss to the state, it must also be seen from the side of corruption," said Sugeng.

As is known, companies that take water from rivers or springs and then sell it to companies or industries must indeed have a permit according to Law Number 17 of 2019 concerning Water Resources.

In Article 49 paragraph (2) of the Law, for example, states that the use of Water Resources for business needs must have a permit. And if you do not have a permit but deliberately carry out activities such as Article 49 paragraph (2), then based on Article 70, you can be sentenced to a minimum of one year in prison and a maximum of three years. In addition, they are also subject to a minimum fine of IDR 1 billion and a maximum of IDR 5 billion.

In that context, continued Sugeng, the resolution of the Sumedang case is very important. Moreover, continued Sugeng, the West Java Regional Police also left several other cases.

"In addition, there are also allegations of the Subang murder case, the alleged death of a high school student in Bogor City by the Bogor Police. Not to mention the case of the death of the two bodies," he added.

"Therefore, the settlement of the alleged case of taking water as well as selling water to industries without a permit in Sumedang, must be a concern. This concerns the professionalism of the Regional Police Chief in leading his area,” said Sugeng.

On the 76th Bhayangkara Day, IPW did ask the Police to maintain the dignity of the Polri institution. Moreover, Sugeng continued, the current leader of the National Police, General Pol Listyo Sigit Prabowo, is very serious about fixing the Police institution through the Precision Police Program to continue the relay of Police reform. The National Police Chief even promised to bring the National Police forward to become a just Police, an honest Police, a Police who are ready to be criticized, and a transparent Police.

"Therefore, improvements and strengthening of the performance of the Police must continue to be carried out to improve the image of the Police through their professional, proportional and humanist apparatus," he concluded.