Former Head of Subdirectorate 3 of the Narcotics Directorate of the Metro Jaya Police, AKBP Malvino Edward Yusticia, walks after undergoing an ethics trial at the TNCC Building, National Police Headquarters, Jakarta (ANTARA FOTO/Muhammad Ramdan)
Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) stated that the police are not seriously handling the extortion case by their personnel that occurred at the Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) event if they plan to return the victims’ money.
“The plan to return the Rp2.5 billion extortion proceeds by the police to the DWP audience victims proves that the police institution is not serious about resolving cases involving its members in the criminal realm and only stops at the Police Code of Ethics Commission (KKEP),” said IPW Chairman Sugeng Teguh Santoso in his statement in Jakarta today.
Sugeng explained that according to the law, the seized money is considered evidence of a crime.
“So, if the seized money is returned, there will be no evidence that investigators can use to ensnare the perpetrator, who is also a member of the police,” he said.
Sugeng added that law enforcement knows that the evidence will be brought to court, and the judge who decides the extortion case against Malaysian citizens will determine whether the confiscated money will be deposited into the state treasury, returned to the victims, or destroyed.
“The police as investigators do not have the authority to determine the further status of the Rp2.5 billion cash evidence other than seizing it according to the law and making it evidence of extortion,” he said.
Sugeng explained that if the seized money amounting to Rp2.5 billion from several extortion victims is returned, it would be the same as eliminating or destroying evidence for the legal process, which would certainly raise questions in the community and diminish public trust in the police institution.
“Because, the extortion carried out by the narcotics unit collectively will not be processed legally even though it has already gone viral on social media, both domestically and internationally,” he said.
Allegations of extortion in office in this DWP case fall under the qualification of corruption crimes that cannot be resolved through “restorative justice.”
The Head of the Bureau of Supervision and Professional Development of the Propam Division of the National Police, Brigadier General Agus Wijayanto, stated that the proceeds of the crime in the alleged extortion case involving DWP 2024 will be returned to the victims.
“The evidence that we have successfully secured, we confiscated Rp2.5 billion and it will later be returned to those entitled,” said Agus Wijayanto at the TNCC Building of the National Police Headquarters, Jakarta, Thursday (2/1).
Regarding the refund mechanism, Agus said that the National Police will arrange the refund of the money to the victims.
“This is part of the data collection conducted by the Propam Division, both the Paminal Bureau we encountered, and there will be a process there for the evidence worth Rp2.5 billion,” he said.
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