Rizky Amelia & Ezra Sihite – Criticism of Deputy Justice Minister Denny Indrayana alleged mistreatment of a Pekanbaru prison guard continued to mount Tuesday afternoon as a regional Justice and Human Rights chief and member of the House of Representatives spoke out against the deputy minister's actions.
"As a representative to the people, I believe they are very disappointed [with this incident]. I want the President to take firm action on this, firing [Denny] if necessary," Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa, the head of the House of Representatives' Commission II, told journalists in Jakarta. The commission oversees state apparatus and bureaucratic reforms.
Denny allegedly slapped Sihombing, a prison guard, after Pekanbaru were slow to open the doors during Denny's unannounced visit to Pekanbaru at 2:30 Monday morning. The deputy minister's assistant also kicked Khoiril, another prison guard, in the stomach.
Agun said that not only had the deputy minster violated procedures during the visit, but that the alleged assaults were improper behavior. The head of Riau's office of Justice and Human Rights Djoni Muhammad said that the prison guards were simply doing their job.
"We object to the slapping of Sihombing [by Denny] and the kicking of Khoiril by an assistant of the deputy minister," Djoni said in a letter to Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin.
"Our officers serve well, and we thank the deputy minister for his visit," he added, saying that he wished Denny and his assistants would apologize to the mistreated officers.
Agun said that he confronted Denny over the assaults. The deputy minister denied the claims.
"He denied it, but I told him I have the evidence and facts, and have communicated with a director general who has talked about the issue with the minister. Just keep denying or take a legal measure if he wants," Agun said. The evidence, he said, was Djoni's letter to the justice minister dated on Apr. 2.
Denny – a law professor and former legal affairs adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono – did not respond to The Jakarta Globe's request for comment. (BeritaSatu/JG)