TNI Will Evaluate Weapons Procedures After Soldiers Dismiss Shots At BUMN Bank Gowa South Sulawesi

Illustration. TNI soldiers practice unloading SS.1 long-barreled weapons in Tanjungbalai Asahan. (ANTARA)

Head of the Information Center (Kapuspen) TNI Headquarters Major General (Mar) Freddy Ardianzah said his party would evaluate internally regarding the procedures for ownership and use by soldiers after the incident in Gowa, South Sulawesi.

"We will re-evaluate the technical procedures for ownership and use of official weapons," Freddy told ANTARA in Jakarta, Friday.

Freddy assessed that what happened in Goa was very dangerous for the community and fellow soldiers themselves.

Therefore, he said, the TNI will ensure the use of weapons in the right designation by tightening internal supervision.

His party, said Freddy, will also monitor the psychological condition of the soldiers in order to ensure that weapons are not used for other things.

"The point is, weapons can only be used according to the rules with strict responsibilities," explained Freddy.

With the strengthening of strict psychological supervision and examination, said Freddy, it is hoped that the events in Gowa will not happen again.

Military District Command (Kodim) 1409/Gowa arrested a member of the TNI with the initials Praka S who carried a long-barreled firearm and fired his gun and almost hit a member of the Kodim intelligence at a state-owned bank at the Gowa Regency Branch, South Sulawesi.

"It is true that there was an explosion of a weapon or shooting in Gowa. It was an TNI person with the initials S from the TNI unit who was here, it was a shooting, but the target was to hit a wall," said Dandim 1409/Gowa Lt. Col. (Inf) Heri Kuswanto told reporters in Gowa, Thursday.

He explained that he was indeed at the bank. Initially he entered the bank carrying a long-barreled rifle that was stored in his jacket. The security guard named Asrul shouted and calmed him down.

"Secured by security to go to the security (post) room, bank security called us, called members of the intelligence unit," said Heri.

Together with four intelligence members arriving at the location, the perpetrator was still in the Bank BRI Security Guard room. When the intelligence member of the Regional Military Command (Kodim) Serda Pahri approached the perpetrator, his weapon was immediately directed at him.

"Members of the intelligence unit came there, when they came there, the person concerned was shocked, why was there an intelligence person here, so the weapon was immediately directed at our members," he said.

The firearms were directed to an intelligence member named Serda Pahri swiftly parrying the Senpi upwards and an eruption occurred leading to the wall of the security guard entrance post.

Spontaneously, Serda Pahri immediately squeezed the perpetrator in the neck to be paralyzed with the help of other members.

"When it was directed at our members' bodies, it was immediately blocked upwards, there was an eruption like that. Then for the condition of our members, until now it's okay, Alhamdulillah, it's okay," he said.

After being paralyzed in the bank, the perpetrator was then taken to the Military District Command 1409/Gowa Headquarters for further investigation, including asking what he meant.

It was later discovered that this TNI member was a soldier from the Kostrad Infantry 3 Unit. The Dandim stated that his party had coordinated with his division to be picked up and processed by the Denpom Division of Infantry 3 Kostrad.

"Alhamdulillah, our coordination with our relationship with the division is very good. There was this incident, we immediately coordinated, we immediately informed them so that the unit in question had been secured," he said again.

When asked from the results of the examination whether the person was suspected of having a mental disorder or there was another cause, he said, his party only secured and asked which unit, the rest was handed over to the unit.

"Well, we don't understand the rest, because the person concerned has also been brought to his unit, and maybe the unit is more understanding," he said.