Absentee, Police Threaten To Forcibly Pick Up PT Meratus Line's Managing Director Suspect Of Employee Arrest

PT Meratus Line (PT ML) building in the Tanjung Perak area of Surabaya/PHOTO: AM Sby-VOI

SURABAYA - The Surabaya Tanjung Perak Port Police has sent the first summons to the President Director of PT Meratus Line (PT ML), SR, a suspect in holding his employees.

"We sent a summons to the suspect SR last week. But the suspect did not come," said Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for Tanjung Perak Port Surabaya Police AKP Arief Ryzki Wicaksana when confirmed, Friday, August 19.

Until he was named a suspect, continued Arief, suspect SR had not shown the bridge of his nose to investigators. According to Arief, the suspect SR had not fulfilled the investigator's summons because he was still out of town.

Therefore, investigators will send a second summons to suspect SR this week. If he is absent again, Arief stated that he will carry out the next legal process.

"We'll just have to wait for the suspect to fulfill the second summons or not. If he doesn't fulfill the summons, a third call will be made or even forcibly picked up," he said.

Arief emphasized that an examination of SR must be carried out to explore whether or not there are other actors in the alleged case of holding an employee of PT Meratus Line with the initials ES.

"The investigation will continue to develop. However, we cannot make guesses. It will depend on the results of the investigation and how the case will be held," he said.

The President Director (Director) of PT Meratus Line, with the initials SR, was named a suspect in the alleged confinement case of ES, who is none other than an employee of the shipping company. Besides being held captive, SR is also suspected of extorting ES.

The determination of SR as a suspect was based on the Notification on the Progress of Investigation Results (SP2HP) numbered B/622/SP2HP.4/VIII/RES.1.24/2022/RESKRIM issued by the Tanjung Perak Port Police, Surabaya. The letter was signed by the Head of Criminal Investigation at the Tanjung Perak Port Police, AKP Arief Ryzki Wicaksana.

In this case, the reporter with the initials MM who is also the wife of the ES victim had asked for protection from the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK). MM through his attorney, Fuad Abdullah, expressed his fear of being discriminated against and criminalized.

”MM's mother was scared, because she often received terror and threats from people on behalf of Meratus. That's why I asked for LPSK protection," said Fuad.

Meanwhile, PT Meratus Line's Head of Communication, Purnama Aditya, denied any attempts at terror or criminalization that he was accused of. He also stated, fully surrender this legal process to the police.

"We have never terrorized any party related to this case, because we entrust and hand over the entire legal process to the authorities," he said.