ムシ・ラワスの頭を撃たれた警察の死の事件の調査は包括的でなければなりません

JAKARTA - Police observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) Bambang Rukminto reminded that the investigation into the death of Polri Aipda P member in Musi Rawas, (Mura), South Sumatra, must be carried out comprehensively.

Bambang indicated that Aipda P died not due to suicide. "The statement that the cause of death was suicide is a premature conclusion before there was a more comprehensive investigation regarding the crime scene and forensics," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, June 17.

Bambang found these indications from a number of news broadcast by local mass media regarding the death of Aipda Pyang who served as Head of the Paminal Unit of the Musi Rawas Resort Police.

Aipda P was found by residents in a lifeless condition in his official car with gunshot wounds to the head in the office helipad area of the Musi Rawas Regency Government, Thursday (15/6) at around 10.30 WIB.

The day before, Wednesday (14/6), residents were shocked by the discovery of a white minibus without a police license plate in a badly damaged condition.

The discovery of the suspicious car took place in Muara Beliti Baru Village, Musi Rawas Regency, at around 06.30 WIB. The car was damaged in the glass and tires.

In the car, several items were found, such as police rank identification, daily official clothing shoes (PDH), and several documents with the words Propam Polres Musi Rawas Utara Polda South Sumatra.

"Two news related to the victim's car, which was different from the location where the victim was found, indicated that the cause of death was not suicide," said Bambang.

According to him, the Aipda P case in Musi Rawas, South Sumatra, would be simpler if it was called suicide so that there would be no deeper investigation.

However, the indications of suicide will be refuted if the victim's car is found in a different place from the car where the victim's body was found.

"It is very unlikely that the victim damaged his own car, then moved to another car to commit suicide," said Bambang. Bambang reminded the police to learn from the Ferdy Sambo case by not covering up crimes that allegedly involved members and conducting professional investigations.

"Do not let the obstruction of justice case occur again (blocking the investigation) which is carried out jointly and known by the institution," he added.

The incident of police officers who died allegedly committing suicide is not the first time. The National Police Commission (Kompolnas) noted that throughout 2023 there were four cases of suspected suicide police, namely in Samosir, Gorontalo, Banten, and Jakarta.

Several incidents of the death of a member of the National Police due to suicide, such as the Head of Drugs at the East Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Buddy Alfirms Towolio, who allegedly committed suicide on the railroad tracks of Jatinegara Station. Then, AS Bripka, a member of the Samosir Police Traffic Unit, North Sumatra Police, who allegedly committed suicide by drinking cyanide.

The phenomenon of suicide among members of the National Police has become a serious note of the Police's SSDM Psychology Bureau to seek solutions to improve the mental health of police officers, considering that during 2023 to June, there were 15 Polri personnel who committed suicide and attempted suicide.

Bambang suspects that the phenomenon of suicide of this Polri member is due to a workload that is too heavy. The workload in question can be from both physical and mental psychological aspects.

"Require research related to this phenomenon. However, my assumption could be more because the psychological burden is getting heavier along with the decline in the level of public trust in the National Police institution after major cases of FS (Ferdy Sambo), TM (Teddy Minahasar), Kanjuruhan, and others that raided the police," explained Bambang.