Stevani Wijaya, Jakarta – A high-ranking officer has been dishonorably discharged for obstruction of justice in the ongoing investigation into the July 8 murder of a fellow officer allegedly masterminded by police general Ferdy Sambo.
Chief Comr. Agus Nurpatria was fired following the ethics hearing over the accusation that he has destroyed a security camera at the scene where Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat was brutally murdered by Ferdy and a low-ranking policeman, the National Police announced on Wednesday.
Had the security camera at Ferdy's official residence in South Jakarta not been tampered with, it would have provided the strongest evidence investigators could get.
Of seven officers accused of obstruction of justice, four have been dishonorably discharged including Agus, Ferdy, Comr. Baiquni Wibowo, and Comr. Chuck Putranto. Three other suspects are still waiting for the conclusion of their ethics hearing.
Most of those suspects worked at the National Police's Profession and Security Division led by Ferdy before he was stripped of his duty for murder charges.
They are accused of tampering with the murder scene and physical evidence, such as "destroying [the victim's] cellular phone and security camera, and planting [false] evidence", National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said.
Five people have been tied directly to the murder, including Ferdy as the alleged mastermind, his wife Putri Candrawathi, suspected shooter Second Patrolman Richard Eliezer, Brigadier Ricky Rizal, and Ferdy's personal assistant identified as Kuat Ma'ruf.
The five are slapped with a premeditated murder charge that carries the death sentence.
According to the police investigation, an unarmed Yosua was shot multiple times at close range by Richard on the order of Ferdy, who fired the final bullet at the victim's head.
Ricky and Kuat allegedly witnessed the execution-style murder but did nothing to stop it.
Ferdy claimed, without evidence, that Yosua had harassed his wife.
In a previous ethics hearing, Ferdy pleaded guilty to the murder but he challenged his dismissal to the appeal tribunal while awaiting trial.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/fourth-officer-loses-job-over-ferdy-sambo-sag