Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – While police, prosecutors and judges are busily denying accusations of wrongful arrest and prosecution over the murder of Muhammad Asrori, the case has revealed law enforcers' use of torture and failure to double-check facts.
Legal experts and human rights activists agreed Wednesday that whatever arguments the police presented to justify their conduct, the public was now aware of their methods for forcing confessions from suspects.
"This case is only one of many cases of police abuse of suspects," Setara Human Rights Watch executive director Hendardi said. "It is common knowledge that everywhere in the police across the country, investigators torture suspects just to get out of them what they want to hear."
Last May, the Jombang District Court sentenced Imam Hambali and Devid Eko Priyanto to 17 years and 12 years in prison, respectively, for the murder of Asrori. Another defendant, Maman, is still being tried.
But a confession by suspected serial killer Verry Idham Henyansyah, alias Ryan, that he had murdered Asrori – and a subsequent DNA test corroborating his account – sparked a public outcry that police, prosecutors and judges had punished innocent people.
Imam and Devid told The Jakarta Post earlier this month the Jombang police had forced them to confess. They claimed the police also dictated to them what they had to do during a re-enactment of the murder.
"We were tortured with a diesel engine (timing) belt. Not only that, we were once forced to confess at gunpoint," Imam said, adding the police had instructed him how he should claim to have stabbed and buried Aldo, as Asrori was also known.
Legal expert Frans H. Winarta criticized the prosecutors for compounding the problem by relying on the case files submitted by the police without making any attempt to verify the evidence.
He said the prosecutors sought credit for closing cases as quickly as possible, and for having the defendants receive as heavy a punishment as possible, especially in cases involving powerless people.
Previous wrongful arrests and prosecutions include that of Ii Darkoni, who was sentenced to five years in prison by the Tasikmalaya District Court in West Java after being charged with killing his neighbor Iyah Hanias in 2007. Police later determined the real murderer after Ii had served part of his jail term.
Also in 2007, Risman Lakoro was sentenced to three years in prison after being charged with killing his daughter Alta Lakoro. While serving his term, his daughter, who had run away from home, suddenly came back.
Risman said police had used torture to force him to confess to the murder.
"These innocent people must be released quickly no matter what the police and prosecutors say," Frans said.
"The attorney general or chief justice or National Police chief must make this decision, and not try to cover up mistakes made by their subordinates."