JAKARTA - General Hoegeng Imam Santoso is an anti-corruption police figure. From the start as a police officer, Hoegeng could not be compromised, let alone bribed. For him the law is indiscriminate. Hoegeng's righteous attitude also sparked hatred, especially for corrupt police officers. Hoegeng has even been used because he is difficult to seduce.
That happened when Hoegeng was the Head of Criminal Investigations in Medan. At the end of 1955, Hoegeng was appointed as Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for the North Sumatra Provincial Police. Hoegeng was appointed directly by the first National Police Chief, General RS Soekanto. The assignment was given on the recommendation of Attorney General Soeprapto, who is a close relative of Hoegeng.
Soeprapto in that case knew Hoegeng's actions as a police officer with integrity. So, Hoegeng was given the task of eradicating corruption, smokel (smuggling), and gambling in Medan. The task did not make Hoegeng's guts shrink even though he had the desire to refuse the assignment for a number of reasons.
Most importantly, the transfer made Hoegeng's dream of attending the United States (US) police force to be canceled. Moreover, Hoegeng was assigned to Medan which at that time was not always good for someone's career in the police world. After all, his educational background and position in the police is intelligence, not crime.
“Actually Hoegeng was reluctant to be transferred to Medan, with the scope of work in the criminal field. According to Hoegeng, a police officer in charge of solving criminal problems is common and relatively easy. While serving in the field of intelligence (DPKN) is more prestigious because it uses the brain."
"Hoegeng is more interested in being assigned to the intelligence field, in accordance with his previous assignment at the East Java Regional Police and a short course in America," wrote Aris Santoso et al in the book Hoegeng: A Cooling Oasis in the Middle of Corrupt Behavior of National Leaders (2009).
After that, Hoegeng took on the challenge as a police officer working in the criminal field. However, before leaving Hoegeng began to look for many references related to the new assignment. In order to memorize the field of work, he thought. The pinnacle of being loved by scholars arrived. Hoegeng's uncle, Abdulkadir Widjojoatmodjo, had heard of Hoegeng's new assignment.
Because of that Hoegeng was immediately asked to visit his house. In the midst of the visit, Hoegeng's uncle immediately introduced Hoegeng to a descendant of the Malay-Langkat nobility who was also a police officer, Teuku Aziz. From him Hoegeng dig up a lot of information. Some of them are information about the current criminal situation in North Sumatra.
The same applies to the black map of gambling and smuggling in Medan, which in Hoegeng's language is called China Medan. Aziz asked Hoegeng to be careful with Medan China because usually new police officers were often surrounded by Medan Chinese. They often give tempting gifts so that illicit business lasts without interruption.
“Hoegeng's career is growing. Sent to study in the United States, assigned to East Java, in 1956 he was appointed Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department of North Sumatra in Medan, which was famous as a place where Chinese traders had a hobby of bribing officials. However, Hoegeng cannot be bribed. In the midst of the world of gambling, smoke, corruption, and seduction of beautiful women, he was solid as a policeman who was honest and straight, an honest and straight cop," recalls Rosihan Anwar in the book "Petite Histoire" Indonesia's Little History Volume 6 (2012).
Hoegeng "used"
Shortly after officially setting foot in Medan in 1956, Hoegeng immediately took action. He refused to compromise and did not want to be bribed by the Medan Chinese group. Hoegeng is getting more and more aware of the criminal pattern in Medan. In gambling and smoking activities, for example. On average, these activities are funded and organized by China Medan.
They were also heavily protected (backing) by ABRI elements as well as the police. Hoegeng doesn't care. As long as they commit a crime, Hoegeng is obliged to eradicate Medan China and "lacks" in uniform with law enforcement officers.
Hoegeng then coordinated with many parties, such as the Head of the Mobile Brigade, AKP Mauluhi Sitepu and the Head of the General Section of AKP Partoyo. They then together with Hoegeng went directly to the field to uncover various criminal cases.
“Because he doesn't want to compromise, Hoegeng also often faces death threats. One of them was when Hoegeng was targeted by snipers when he was on duty in the outskirts of the forest in the city of Medan."
"However, Hoegeng did not tell in what case he was shot. Hoegeng also did not tell who the shooter was," Suhartono said in the book Hoegeng: Police and Exemplary Ministers (2013).
Thanks to Hoegeng being a straight policeman, the North Sumatra Police have achieved success for success. How many cases have been dismantled by Hoegeng. Hoegeng also did not hesitate to punish the officers who were the protectors of the Medan China business.
During that time Hoegeng and AKP Mauluhi Sitepu had almost succeeded in arresting a police officer with the rank of Police Commissioner Class II who was collaborating in smuggling with the Medan Chinese. Unable to openly fight Hoegeng, the corrupt policeman then wants revenge in an unusual way: black magic.
As a result, Hoegeng fell ill, supposedly because of witchcraft. Since the illness Hoegeng surrendered to the Almighty. Even so, the shaman who accompanied Hoegeng appeared and apologized. Hoegeng was cured and the shaman actually got forgiveness from Hoegeng, not punished. Meanwhile, the corrupt policeman immediately asked for a pension so that he would not be severely punished.
"I just surrender to God. I don't know what happened to me. But one day a shaman came at the request of my subordinates. He is a descendant of Ja-Del (Java-Deli) from Perbaungan. The shaman confessed that he was asked by KP-II officers to give me a chance to die! He was so sorry and apologized to me! The shaman treated me. It turned out that I was cured,” concluded Hoegeng as written by Abrar Yusra and Ramadhan KH in the book Hoegeng: Police Dreams and Reality (1993).
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