Received Threats And Terror, Wife And Families Of Victims Of PT Meratus Line's Captivity Ask For Protection From LPSK

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

SURABAYA - MM, the wife of ES, a victim of the confinement of the President Director of PT Meratus Line (PT ML), with the initials SR asking for protection from the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK). This was done because MM received terror and threats from unknown people.

"MM's mother, his wife and the reporter for the case of her husband's (ES) arrest, was scared. So she took refuge in LPSK," said one of MM's attorneys, Fuad Abdullah, Thursday, August 18.

Fuad said that MM had applied for protection to LPSK on August 10, 2022. There were several reasons MM had applied for protection to LPSK.

Among them, since making a criminal report against the President Director of PT Meratus Line, MM admitted that he often received intimidation or terror from unknown people or people claiming to be from the PT Meratus Line company.

The terror, he said, was enough to intimidate the family, because the terrorists often stopped by the houses and boarding houses owned by their families. This condition often makes him feel uncomfortable and afraid.

“From the statement of MM's mother, there were people who came to her house, shouting in front of the house and some even came in and took pictures. Some even claimed to be from PT Meratus Line and went to their lawyer at the time, pressing for their report to the police to be withdrawn. Otherwise they (PT Meratus) will imprison MM's mother," he explained.

As a result of these terrors, the victim's family now admits that they often move from place to place to avoid people who intimidate them. From one rented house to another rented house.

This threat is considered MM not kidding. This is because the husband, who was originally a victim of confinement by the company where he works, now has to stay at the East Java Regional Police because it was reported by PT Meratus Line with a report of committing criminal acts of fraud and embezzlement, as well as money laundering according to the police report number LP/B/75.01/II/ 2022/SPKT/POLDA EAST JAVA, dated February 9, 2022.

"So two days after this MM mother reported the company's CEO, PT Meratus Line and then reported her husband to the East Java Police for fraud, embezzlement and money laundering. The person concerned has even been thrown into prison first,” he said.

Lawyers for Meratus Line's Managing Director Speak

As previously reported, the lawyer for the President Director of PT Meratus Line Slamet Rahardjo, Tis'ad Apriyandi, stated that he respects the legal process regarding his client who was named a suspect on suspicion of the case of holding an employee.

"PT Meratus Line complies with and respects the ongoing legal process," Tis'ad told reporters in Surabaya as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, August 16.

According to him, on February 9, 2022, his party has also reported cases of embezzlement and money laundering for the theft of diesel fuel from ships belonging to PT Meratus by a number of employees to the East Java Regional Police (Polda Jatim).

In this case, on June 27, several suspects have been named.

PT Meratus Line's Head of Legal, Donny Wibisono said, the case that dragged the President Director of PT Meratus Line as a suspect in the alleged confinement of an employee, started with the theft of diesel fuel (BBM).

He explained that in early 2022 he received reports of theft of diesel fuel from his ships by a number of employees which caused huge losses.

Then on January 24, 2022, Edi Setyawan (ES) received recognition as one of the employees involved in the theft.

"Because of his confession, he received threats from a number of other employees who were involved in the theft of diesel fuel. So he asked for protection so that we secured him at the Meratus Office from February 4 to 8, 2022," he said.

Meanwhile, in the case that caused the Meratus Line President Director Slamet Rahardjo to become a suspect, Edi Setyawan was listed as a victim of confinement in the Meratus Building from February 4-8, 2022.

The case was reported by Mlati Muryani, wife of Edi Setyawan, to the Tanjung Perak Surabaya Resort Police (Polres) on February 7, 2022.