Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The Indonesian Army is ready to impose severe punishments on all personnel found guilty of using drugs or being involved in drug trafficking networks, a top ranking official has said.
Army chief of staff Gen. Mulyono said the institution was still waiting for the results of its investigation into the alleged involvement of a two-star military General in executed drug kingpin Freddy Budiman's business empire.
The investigation is being conducted by a team established by and working under the command of Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo.
"Personally, I don't want any of my personnel to be involved in drug networks. If anyone is proven guilty, I will immediately take him into a legal process and dismiss him from the military if necessary," Mulyono said on Wednesday.
Mulyono said that in line with ongoing internal reforms in the military, he had also called on all Army personnel to perform ethically, including by avoiding the use of official Army vehicles and facilities for activities outside of official military tasks.
The investigation will be conducted following the widespread circulation of Freddy's testimony released by rights activist Haris Azhar. In his testimony to the coordinator for the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in 2014, Freddy revealed the alleged involvement of high ranking officials from the National Police, the TNI and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in his drug business.
Freddy claimed he had once delivered drugs from Medan, North Sumatra, using a car belonging to a two-star TNI General. The General even accompanied him in the car during the journey, Freddy said. Haris published the drug lord's testimony one day before he was executed on July 29. (ebf)