Reprimanded By Vice President Regarding Pegi Setiawan, Police: We Are Not Anti-Critic

Karopenmas Police Public Relations Division Brigadier General Pol. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko in Jakarta, Thursday 11 July 2024 (Rizky AP/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) expressed appreciation for the criticism from the Vice President (Wapres) Ma'ruf Amin regarding the case of Pegi Setiawan who was acquitted of a legal procedure error by the West Java (Jabar) Police in his arrest.

"This is part of the decisions that we respect. Regarding input and criticism, the National Police Chief General Pol. Listyo Sigit Prabowo also always emphasizes that the Police are not anti-criticism," said Head of the Public Information Bureau (Karopenmas) of the National Police Public Relations Division Brigadier General Pol. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko in Jakarta, Thursday, July 11.

He emphasized that criticism from Ma'ruf Amin would be an evaluation material for the Police, especially for the West Java Regional Police.

"From Bareskrim Polri, the Director of General Crimes (Dirtipidum) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police Brigadier General Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro also said that there are things that of course must be evaluated," he added.

Previously, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin reprimanded the West Java Regional Police for not being careful in investigating the deaths of Vina and Eky in Cirebon, West Java. The determination of the suspect against Pegi Setiawan was canceled by the Bandung District Court (PN) through pretrial.

According to Ma'ruf Amin, West Java Police investigators were not careful in determining the status of the suspect to Pegi Setiawan so that he was released in a pretrial hearing. Pegi is known to have been arrested and named a suspect on May 21, 2024.

"Indeed, there was a lack of research from the regional police when arresting Pegi, so that it could be broken or canceled through pretrial. So if you catch it, there must really be sufficient evidence," said Ma'ruf after inaugurating the Cimanggis-Cibitung Toll Road, Bogor.

Peti Setiawan was released after single judge Eman Sulaeman granted the pretrial lawsuit filed. The determination of the status of the suspect by investigators from the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) of the West Java Police in the 2016 murder case of Vina and Eky was declared invalid and null and null and void.

A total of 115 pages of decision files were read out by the sole judge in a pretrial hearing at the Bandung District Court (PN) on Monday afternoon.

"To try, decide to grant the pretrial lawsuit of Pegi Setiawan," said Eman Sulaeman when reading the verdict file at the Bandung District Court.

The panel of judges considered that the determination of the suspect Pegi Setiawan in the murder case of Vina and Eky was invalid and null and void. The single judge ordered to stop the investigation.

"Free the applicant from detention and restore the applicant's rights," he said.