Jakarta – A spokesman for the Indonesian Military (TNI) confirmed on Wednesday that three TNI members were involved in the alleged torture and murder of a debt collector in Jakarta on Monday.
The Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) was investigating the three TNI members allegedly implicated in the death of Helmy Yohanes Manuputty, Kostrad chief Lt. Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo said on Wednesday.
"Those found guilty will be punished," Pramono told reporters, adding that the TNI would be transparent in its handling of the case.
Pramono also confirmed that a TNI member had been given a Rp 6.4 million automobile loan from leasing company PT Sinar Mitra Sepadan (SMS), where Helmy worked as debt collector.
Helmy, 34, was assigned to collect payment from the TNI member, who allegedly failed to pay his last two monthly installments.
The debtor and about 100 TNI members in civilian clothes allegedly attacked PT SMS's office in Margonda, Depok, on Monday, brandishing machetes and firearms, and attacking Helmy and his colleagues.
Helmy and three colleagues, A.T., Aldo and Videl, were allegedly taken by the mob from the company's office and tortured in Cilodong, Bogor, where the headquarters of Kostrad's Division I is located.
Helmy reportedly was released in Cililitan, South Jakarta, returned home by motorcycle taxi and died from his wounds at Indonesian Christian University (UKI) Hospital in Cawang, East Jakarta, on Monday evening.
"The three [TNI members] are under investigation," TNI spokesperson Brig. Gen. Wiryantoro told reporters on Wednesday.
PT SMS offices were abandoned when The Jakarta Post visited on Wednesday, and a banner with the company's name had been removed. A local resident who declined to be named said that he saw on Monday a debt collector fleeing an assailant who was driving a motorcycle and trying to run him over.
"The assailants looked young and most of them drove motorcycles. After the assault the debt collectors were taken away by the assailants. They were seated in the middle of motorcycle, sandwiched between two assailants," he added.
Junaedi, a security guard from an adjacent building, told the Post that the debt collectors were usually hanging out in front of the PT SMS office in the place where they parked their motorcycles. "Many people here were not really sympathetic due to the debt collectors' attitudes," he said.
Junaedi added that about three months ago there was a fight between debt collectors at the PT SMS office over how to conduct their business.
"The debt collectors brought wooden logs and then used them to smash the office windows," Junaedi added. Andi, a PT SMS customer, told the Post that he was surprised that there were no debt collectors hanging out in front of the office as usual on Wednesday.
"Since a lot of collectors used to hang out in front, I often was afraid to come to pay my debt," he said. Andi said that he had often came to the leasing company over the last six months to make payments on his car loan. (rpt)