Recording Enough Violations, Commander: TNI Must Start Educiating More Soldiers Become Investigators

TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono (two rights) gave a statement to reporters after a technical guidance event at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/9/2023). ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi.

TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono said the TNI must start educating more soldiers to become Military Police (Pom) investigators both at the central and lower levels. The need to increase the number of TNI Military Police investigators is because the number of soldiers and violations is quite large and varies. "At that time we didn't expect this much to be processed. With this development, we have to start educating a lot and maybe send (the soldier) to become an investigator,” said the Commander during a press conference at the TNI Headquarters, Cilangkap, Jakarta, Antara, Tuesday, September 12. He said the education could be done, among others, through short intensive training programs. " “ (With these training programs, ed.) so that they can fulfill, can investigate the many crimes, so that they can be empowered starting from the Pomdam (Kodam Military Police), there are military police force, then the TNI military police center is all empowered,” said Admiral Yudo. In a technical guidance meeting at TNI Headquarters, Cilangkap, Jakarta, Yudo admitted that the TNI was not prepared from the start to have the ability to investigate as the police to take action against criminal law violations committed by soldiers. The reason is, the police apparatus in the military institution was originally in the form of a provost, namely the soldiers who were assigned to maintain order and enforce discipline. "In the past, there were no violations like today, various kinds of technological developments like today, various crimes committed that incidentally are the same as civil society," said Yudo Margono. During the meeting, Yudo believed that the legal process against unscrupulous soldiers could run faster if the number of soldiers who had the ability as investigators was sufficient. Several cases are currently being handled by the TNI military police, both at the central and defense levels, including corruption cases in the procurement of equipment at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), then cases of kidnapping, extortion, and persecution by three TNI soldiers against civilians. Investigators from the TNI Puspom went directly to handle corruption cases at Basarnas because it involved a high-ranking three-star officer, TNI Intermediate Marshal Henri Alfiandi (ex-head of Basarnas) and an intermediate officer, Lt. Col. Afri Budi Cahyanto (ex-coorsmin kabasarnas). Meanwhile, for other legal cases, the TNI Puspom currently provides more assistance (assistance) and legal consultations with military police in each force.