Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Military analysts Thursday blasted the military probe into an arms stash scandal as neither transparent nor credible, and urged the House of Representatives to launch an immediate inquiry into the case.
They said the investigation was not thorough since it focused only on violations of arms procurement procedures by the late Brig. Gen. Koesmayadi, instead of the underlying situation that made it possible for him to acquire so much weaponry.
At least 145 automatic rifles, 42 handguns, nine grenades, 28 binoculars and 28,000 rounds of ammunition were found at Koesmayadi's home in Ancol, North Jakarta, after his death.
Koesmayadi, a former Army deputy logistics chief, died on June 10. "It would have been impossible for Koesmayadi to do that alone and breach the official arms procurement procedures without any consent by Army leadership. All actions in the Army are based on instructions and the chain of command from Army leadership," said J. Kristiadi of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
"The investigation should proceed not only to the 11 suspects but, more importantly, to those behind Koesmayadi, and to what the guns were being hoarded for."
The deceased general was named a suspect along with his son-in-law and nine other people, including several low-ranking military personnel and three foreigners. The military said Koesmayadi acquired 43 of the guns himself and collected the arms and ammunition at his house as a hobby.
Investigators said other suspects would be interrogated for allegedly helping Koesmayadi bring in the guns via Singapore and move them from his residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Army chief Gen. Djoko Santoso has said several senior officers, including former Army chief Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, Koesmayadi's former superior, had been summoned to testify as witnesses or information sources only.
Kristiadi said the House should form a special committee to uncover all those involved in the case and to examine arms procurement in the military.
Those comments were echoed by military analyst Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), who questioned the military's internal reforms.
Indria said the House should use its legislative right to investigate the case thoroughly in order to force further reforms.
"It is quite dangerous and the military's professionalism comes under question when a military officer has a large arms stash. If two to five military officers did something like this, you can imagine what they could or would do," he said.
He stressed that the investigation should focus on the environment that supported Koesmayadi's stockpiling. He added that lawmakers should investigate possible business connections to the arms cache.
There has been speculation that Koesmayadi was involved in the arms trade. Deputy House Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar said lawmakers had no plans yet to investigate. He added that the House would first study a report from the military about its findings.
However, several legislators on House Commission I for defense, information and foreign affairs vowed to call for an inquiry into the case.
Kristiadi and Indria said Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono should amend the administrative mechanisms of arms procurement accountability and arms storage for all military forces. They said the procedures must be aligned with the 2004 law on the Indonesian Military and the 2003 presidential decree on arms procurement.
They added that the minister should play a role in order to ensure civilian supremacy over the military.
The military is believed to be one of the country's most corrupt institutions, with its weapons and equipment procurement division seen as its most graft-ridden.