Brimob Persons Who Killed Mount Bald Residents Soon Become Patients

Head of Public Relations of the Maluku Police, Kombes Roem Ohoirat (Photo via Antara)

JAKARTA - The Maluku Regional Police stated that the Brimob member of the rank of Brigadier Andre Batuwael, who killed a resident in Buru Regency, Maluku Province, had been handed over to the Namlea District Court.

“The police have handed it over to the prosecutor and the prosecutor has handed it over to the court. Now it is in court and is on trial," said the Head of Public Relations of the Maluku Police, Kombes Roem Ohoirat, in Ambon, Friday, August 19, quoted from Antara.

Roem said that although he was threatened with being fired, the status of Brimob Andre Batuwael could not be decided because he was still waiting for the decision of the Namlea District Court.

"We are still waiting for a decision from the court, how the decision will be, then the police can take steps," he said.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Buru Island Police, Aipda MYS Djamaluddin said that in the shooting case carried out by Brimob personnel Andre Batuwael, the case file was declared complete or P21 and the suspect and his evidence had been submitted to the prosecutor's office for some time.

“And it has been tried several times at the Namlea District Court. As for the continuation of the trial, that's what the Namlea District Court knows," he said.

An individual member of Brimob with the rank of Brigadier Andre Batuwael, has been arrested and named a suspect in the shooting of residents by the police during a dispute in the illegal gold mining area of Mount Botak, Buru Regency, on January 29, 2022.

Based on the testimony of a witness named Rusdin Nurlatu, the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between Brigadier Andre Batuwael and victim Andi Latbual, as the victim's pool was damaged due to mining activities belonging to Brigadier Andre's older brother, Toni Batuwael.

The Brimob member did not accept the victim's protest, then he took his AK47 rifle and shot the victim Andi Latbual. The victim died with three gunshot wounds.

In the incident, it was also revealed that the Brimob person was a backer for illegal gold mining activities on Mount Botak.