Kasad Orders Strict Law On TNI Persons Involved In The Murder Of Imam Masykur

Army Chief of Staff, TNI General Dudung Abdurachman (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) General TNI Dudung Abdurachman, confirmed that he ordered his staff to severely punish three TNI AD soldiers involved in kidnapping, extortion, and mistreatment of a civilian until the victim died.

"I say this to be punished severely. As for the army, I think the punishment is heavier, I think, because on the one hand, he was fired, then the second is the same as the punishment if for example it is applied in civilians with the military, we are even heavier, more suffering if in my opinion," Dudung said, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, September 5.

He continued that he instructed his staff at the TNI AD Law Office to process the three soldiers with severe penalties according to the applicable laws and regulations.

"I said, I said, enforce the heavy law against the perpetrators so that they really feel the consequences of their behavior," he said.

Praka RM (member of Paspampres TNI), Praka HS (member of the Topographic Directorate of the Indonesian Army), and Praka J (member of Kodam Iskandar Muda), together with a civilian with the initials ZSS (Brother-in-law Praka RM), kidnapped, blackmailed, and abused two civilians, one of whom is a young man from Aceh aged 25 years with the initials IM.

The perpetrators released one of the victims during the persecution. However, IM, known as Imam Masykur, was eventually tortured to death.

So far, Military Police investigators from Kodam Jaya, who handled the case, have not been able to explain in more detail the motives of the perpetrators of kidnapping, extorting, and molesting victims.

"To reveal thoroughly, as I said earlier, is there another background related to drugs, is it just a kidnapping behind economic (motive) and so on, this is still being investigated and revealed by investigators," said Head of the Indonesian Army Information Service, Brigadier General Hamim Tohari, during a press conference at the Pomdam Jaya Headquarters, Jakarta, on August 29.

He continued that the Army Information Service together with the Military Police of the Jaya Military Command would definitely convey the latest developments on the examination to the public when the information that had been compiled was complete.

"Whether it is the results of the construction or the articles imposed, we will convey it later after the investigation process, then (when) the results of the post-mortem and autopsy come out, then evidence and the roles of the witnesses will be found again," he said.

The victim who died, Imam, an immigrant from Aceh, was kidnapped on August 12, 2023 at a cosmetic shop he was guarding in the area, Rempoa, South Tangerang.

To the victims and local residents, the perpetrators had claimed to be police officers. The results of the initial examination by the Military Police of Kodam Jaya, the victim is known to be involved in the illegal drug trade.

Imam, when kidnapped and abused, had contacted his family and asked for a ransom of Rp. 50 million. The victim's voice recording contacted his family and video footage showing the victim being tortured by the perpetrator went viral on social media.

The victim's family also reported the kidnapping and torture of Imam to the Polda Metro Jaya. The report was received by the police with the Number STTLP/B/4776/VIII/2023/SPKT.

From the victim's family report to the police, the Military Police of Kodam Jaya started the legal process on August 14, 2023. The three soldiers have now been detained at the Kodam Jaya Military Police Detention Center in Guntur, Jakarta, and they have also been named suspects in the kidnapping, extortion and persecution case that led to death.