Exhumation Of Afif Maulana's Body Without A Police Doctor, West Sumatra Police Chief: We Leave It To The Expert

The exhumation process carried out at the AM youth grave (13) in Padang, West Sumatra on Thursday (8/8). ANTARA/HO-PoldaWest Sumatra

PADANG - The Regional Police (Polda) of West Sumatra (West Sumatra) oversees the full process of exhumation by the Indonesian Forensic and Illegal Doctors Association (PDFMI) at Afif Maulana/AM (13) grave in Padang.

The exhumation was carried out by the forensic expert in order to uncover the case of the teenager's death which was found dead under the Kuranji bridge on Sunday (9/6).

"We are overseeing the exhumation process carried out, the first phase of the Alhamdulillain went smoothly as planned," said West Sumatra Police Chief Inspector General Suharyono as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 8.

The Regional Police Chief said that the implementation of the exhumation did not involve the Medical and Health Sector (Dokkes) under the auspices of the National Police.

This was done to prove how transparent and open the Police were to uncover cases, because the exhumation from outside the Police was in accordance with the wishes of the family.

"We leave it to the transfer because all those who handle it are professional doctors. We emphasize again that this exhumation is not from a police doctor," he said.

He again stated that the West Sumatra Police would follow and oversee all existing processes, even his party claimed that from the beginning the handling of the case, the Regional Police and the Padang Police processed it professionally.

Suharyono also said that in order to investigate the AM case, his party had examined dozens of witnesses, and would continue until it was confirmed complete.

To note in the case of AM's death, there are two versions of the cause of death that appear in public, namely from the LBH version as the family legal advisor and the police version.

The family suspects that the teenager died after receiving acts of abuse from the police. However, this has been denied by the Police based on the results of the investigation that has been carried out.

According to the police, the victim died not because of abuse, but fell from the top of the Kuranji Bridge when the victim tried to escape from Sabhara personnel from the West Sumatra Police, who at the time of the incident were preventing a sharp armed brawl.

This is based on an investigation that has examined 85 witnesses, processed the crime scene, autopsy, and key witnesses who were friends riding a motorcycle with victim AM before the incident.