Ridwan Max Sijabat and Rendy Akhmad Witular, Jakarta – National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar said Tuesday that military police had found 35 more arms hoarded by late Army officer Brig. Gen. Koesmayadi.
Syamsir, speaking after a closed-door hearing with House legislators, declined to provide details on the find, including the weapon specifications or the location.
However, detik.com newsportal quoted Indonesian Military Commander Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto as saying Tuesday that three of the weapons were found at another of Koesmayadi's residences and the remainder were stored at the Army's Special Forces Headquarters.
Meanwhile, several legislators speculated that the unusual public disclosure of what would usually be considered an internal military matter pointed to fierce political rivalry. "All the arms, partly unregistered and thereby illegal, have been handed over to the Army Headquarters," Syamsir said after the hearing.
The Military Police and its strategic intelligence agency Bais have been ordered to carry out a thorough investigation after Army Chief of Staff Djoko Santoso announced to the public last week the discovery of 145 rifles, 42 handguns, more than 28,000 bullets, nine grenades and 28 pairs of binoculars in one of Koesmayadi's houses in Ancol, North Jakarta.
The 53-year-old, who died on June 25 from heart problems, was a deputy to the assistant to the Army chief for logistics.
Syamsir said the arms were procured by the Army by its partner company but he did not know why they were in Koesmayadi's possession.
"The arms were purchased in phases between 2000 and 2003 and the Army inspector general detected the arms stash in 2002, and recommended the Army chief (Ryamizard Ryacudu) at that time should register them but it was not done," he said. He asked the mass media and the public to be patient while the investigation was underway.
Several legislators, speaking on the condition of anonymity after the hearing, alleged the disclosure of the arms cache was related to a dispute between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu.
They alleged it was intended to discredit Ryamizard who, based on Syamsir's comments, knew about the arms but did nothing about it. Koesmayadi had served under Ryamizard at the Army's Strategic Reserves Command and later at Army Headquarters.
They contended the dispute stemmed from Ryamizard being passed over by Yudhoyono to replace Gen. Endriartono Sutarto as Indonesian Military commander last year.
The legislators also said Syamsir related in the meeting that some of the armaments were allegedly supplied from Singapore with the help of Kusmayanto, the defense attache at the Indonesian Embassy there.
Meanwhile, the chief spokesman for the Indonesian Military, Vice Admiral Moh. Sunarto, said in a press release Tuesday that the military would provide transparent results of its investigation, and punish other officers found to be involved.
"We call on all sides to stop speculating and making groundless allegations which could disrupt the ongoing investigation," he said.
The President held a second special meeting with security officials at the Presidential Office on Tuesday evening, although the Koesmayadi case was not atop their agenda.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo A.S. said the President in the meeting ordered that the investigation continue, while Djoko Suyanto pledged a thorough probe. He added that the military police have questioned 31 Army officers regarding the case.