Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) on Monday urged the National Police Chief to form a dedicated team to investigate the circulating rumors of illegal mining firms paying a high-ranking police officer for protection services. IPW chairperson Sugeng Teguh Santoso warns that such rumors if left unaddressed, would destroy the institution's reputation.
"IPW urges the National Police Chief Gen. Pol Listyo Sigit Prabowo to form a special team to prove the money deposits to senior police officers for illegal mining protection, which is related to two videos showing statements by a person named Aiptu (Ret.) Ismail Bolong," said Sugeng in a written statement in Jakarta on Monday.
Ismail Bolong, the IPW Chair recalls, claims that commissioner Agus Andrianto had received "protection deposits" from illegal mining firms in East Kalimantan, which is believed to amount to Rp6 billion. However, a following video from the retired police retracted his initial statement and denies ever meeting commissioner Agus Andrianto.
IPW strongly believes that the latest clarification video was made under pressure from those involved in the crime.
Sugeng said that the fiasco caused by Ismail Bolong's confession video shows that police officers, especially the National Police Internal Affairs (Propam) who are given the authority to eradicate violations by police officers, including at the general level, have failed to adhere to the proper procedural mechanism.