Mahfud MD Asks The Officials Involved In The Case Of Djoko Tjandra To Be Criminalized

Menko Polhukam Mahfud MD (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD has asked that the officers who committed violations in the Djoko Tjandra case should not only be punished with disciplinary action. He said that the officers who played to help the fugitive in the Cessie Bank Bali case should be sentenced.

This was conveyed by Mahfud after holding a limited meeting with five related institutions, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham), the Attorney General's Office, the National Police Headquarters, and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) at his office, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Jakarta.

"If anyone is involved there, disciplinary action, imposing disciplinary sanctions, administration will be enforced immediately and then proceed to the criminal case. Don't stop being disciplined," Mahfud said in a written statement on Monday, July 20 evening.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court emphasized that criminal penalties were deemed necessary for officers caught assisting Djoko Tjandra. Because so far many officers have committed violations and only received disciplinary sanctions, but several years later they emerged as public officials.

"If (only, red) stops being disciplined, sometimes they have been removed from their position suddenly in two years they will appear as an official. They say that they have finished their discipline even though they have committed a criminal act," he said.

He assessed that there were a number of articles that could be imposed by officials and other parties involved in helping Djoko enter Indonesia and return to travel abroad.

"Officials and employees who are real and later known to provide assistance, took part in collusive steps in the case of Djoko Tjandra. Many criminal acts could be imposed. For example articles 221, 263, and so on," he said.

He further asked the Police to start taking law enforcement measures against those who were said to be assisting the fugitive. Moreover, there have been quite a number of legal violations committed by a number of parties in this case.

"Obstructing law enforcement and so on is a criminal act. There are lawyers who have been imprisoned for obstructing law enforcement efforts. Moreover, this is a corruption case," he explained.

"Therefore, now the Police should continue and we will see, the public will see all of the Polri's steps," Mahfud added.

Previously, three Polri Generals were dismissed because they were suspected of being directly involved and unrelated to the issuance of road papers and the loss of fugitive Djoko Tjandra's red notice. They are Brigadier General Prasetyo Utomo, Brigadier General Nugroho Wibowo, and Inspector General Napoleon Bonaparte.

Karo Penmas, Police Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Awi Setiyono, said that currently his party is still processing allegations of ethical violations. Regarding the criminal sanction awaiting the results of the ongoing investigation. He said, if sufficient evidence was found, then the application of the punishment was open.

"Insyaallah, it starts from there (code of ethics). We will find the violations later. If there is a criminal act, of course we will get caught up in the article of the sentence," Awi told reporters.

For Brigadier General Prasetyo, he is suspected of being the mastermind of the issuance of the Djoko Tjandra road letter. The letter, number SJ / 82 / VI / 2020 / Rokorwas, was published as of 18 June 2020 and used for trips to Pontianak, West Kalimantan from Jakarta on 19 June and returned on 22 June 2020.

Then, Brigadier General Nugroho allegedly violated the code of ethics for issuing a letter submitting the validity period of Djoko Tjandra's red notice. Meanwhile, Inspector General Napoleon violated the code of ethics because he neglected to supervise his members.

Even so, Awi was reluctant to think when asked about the possibility of dismissal of the generals who were later declared to be involved. According to him, all decisions depend on the results of the trial.