Nivell Rayda – Badly beaten antigraft activist Tama Satrya Langkun on Sunday highlighted inconsistencies in the sudden reappearance of a key witness to his attack.
On Saturday, the witness, Toriq, who has refused to disclose his full name to reporters, visited Tama at Asri Hospital in Duren Tiga, South Jakarta, where the Indonesia Corruption Watch activist is being treated.
"I was shocked to see him come," Tama told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday. "This is the guy from that night. My heart was racing. I asked myself, 'What does he want with me'?"
At about 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, Tama was savagely attacked by four unknown assailants as he was returning home from watching a World Cup football match at a cafe in Kemang, South Jakarta.
Many observers have speculated the assault was connected to a corruption case allegedly involving senior police officers. Tama had reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force that a number of police generals had suspiciously large bank accounts.
The activist, recalling the attack, said he was knocked off his motorcycle before being physically assaulted. "I don't know if it was a car or another motorcycle [that hit me]. I skidded off at least five meters and my right leg was badly injured from the fall," he said.
As he was trying to pick himself up, a man drove up on a motorcycle, got off and hit him in the back of the head with a plank of wood, knocking him to the ground again. Another man soon joined in and kicked Tama in the abdomen, while the first man tried to pull off Tama's helmet.
It was at this point that two more men came running toward him, Tama said. "I thought the other two were trying to help me. But they also beat me with bare fists and blunt objects. At that point I thought to myself... this is the time for me to die," he said.
During the ordeal, Tama noticed a silver Toyota Avanza van nearby. The driver of the van, Toriq, watched the assault from behind the steering wheel.
"I assumed that the driver was an accomplice of my attackers," Tama said. "So when he finally got out of his car and tried to help me, I instinctively refused."
Nearby residents eventually came and offered help. "There was this one guy who looked like a college student and he offered to take me to the hospital on his motorcycle. I went with him instead," Tama said.
Tama sustained multiple injuries in the attack. His head was cut in three places, with one wound deep enough to reveal his skull. He also suffered severe bruising all over his body. Police later asked Tama to describe his attackers, but he could only identify Toriq.
"I kept my hands up to protect my face the whole time, so I didn't get a good look at the men who attacked me," Tama said. "I made the sketch [of Toriq] because if it turns out that he was not an accomplice after all, at least he is a witness who could possibly identify my attackers."
The sketch of Toriq was never made public but was distributed to all police stations across the country.
Mysterious witness
Interviewed by telephone on Sunday, Toriq said he became aware that Tama had identified him after someone from the South Jakarta Police headquarters had contacted him.
"I have many friends on the police force and some of them alerted me," he told the Globe. "That's why I went to see Tama, to clarify the matter."
Toriq denied he had any involvement in the attack and also denied allegations he had been following Tama that morning. "I tried to help," he said. "I was the one who stopped a taxi for him. I asked the taxi driver to take him to the nearest hospital."
But Tama noted that during his visit on Saturday, Toriq used police terminology little known to most laymen, such as " lakalantas", short for kecelakaan lalu lintas (traffic accident).
Toriq also used police terminology in his interview with the Globe. "This is a 1-355 case," he said, referring to the first paragraph of Article 355 of the Criminal Code, which deals with premeditated assault.
But Toriq said he was not a police officer, describing himself as a civilian who owned a car rental business. "I only know several officers. I am not one of them. I can't explain to you my relationship with the police," he said.
"I contacted my [police] friends and offered to help catch the perpetrators. Police quizzed me but not at a police station – they needed me so I determined the time and place. Because they all knew me, they agreed.
"I think about ten officers showed up, we met near the hospital. It was right after my visit to see Tama. I think it lasted around four hours."
Attempts to contact the South Jakarta Police via telephone and text message to discuss the case were unsuccessful on Sunday.
Tama said there were inconsistencies in Toriq's version of events, such as his assertion that he waited for five minutes before finally assisting Tama because he was "examining what was going on."
"If [Toriq] wanted to stay away, why didn't he just leave in the first place? If he wanted to help, why wait so long?" Tama said.
The fallout
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Tama in the hospital on Saturday, urging the activist to continue his fight against corruption.
National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri has called on the public not to jump to conclusions and blame the police for the attack.
"I ask for all of you to do us a favor – please don't accuse us," Bambang said on Thursday. "Don't blame the police for these problems. We never asked our members to do it."
ICW's deputy chairman, Emerson Yuntho, however, said the burden was now on the police to prove they were not involved in the assault by arresting the perpetrators and the mastermind behind the attack.
"We challenge the police to solve the case and also investigate the bank accounts," he said. "We will not be deterred from fighting corruption."
Emerson said Tama could be discharged from the hospital today or on Tuesday morning. ICW will also seek protection from the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), he said.
ICW last month reported to the KPK there were indications of bribery and illegal gratuities connected to two Bank Central Asia accounts said to belong to a senior officer identified only as BG and another account belonging to BG's son. The accounts were estimated to contain more than Rp 95 billion ($10.5 million).
Several recent attacks targeting antigraft groups are suspected to be connected to the report.
"But this is the worst incident," Constitutional Court head Mahfud MD said on Saturday after visiting Tama. "The police have a good record solving difficult cases such as mutilations, baby thefts and others, so it should be easy for them to find the perpetrators."