Kidney Sales Investigation Continues; Cops Search Cipto Hospital
4 February 2016 17:30 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The Indonesian Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) conducted a search at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) around noon today, February 4. The search was done as a follow up to the recent bust of an illegal kidney sales syndicate.
"This search is only complementary; to look for supporting data," Bareskrim's chief of analysis and evaluation Police Comm. Hadi Ramdani told Tempo, Thursday, February 4.
According to Hadi, the search is aimed at finding data on the process of a kidney transplant. He said that the existing data—obtained during investigation and from witnesses' testimonies—will be cross-checked with what the police find during this search.
On January 27, the Bareskrim disclosed the presence of a syndicate of illegal kidney sales. Three people have been named suspects, who allegedly sold human kidneys not only in Indonesia but to neighboring countries as well.
So far, the police have interrogated eight witnesses including victims and doctors.
The police said there is a possibility that kidneys sold by the suspects might have been used in the transplant surgery done by Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. But the hospital's president director C.H. Soejono said RSCM always make sure that their search of a donor is done very carefully.
"No RSCM doctor would [be involved in] such a thing, because we have a mechanism [for organ donation]," Soejono said on Friday, January 29.
Police commissioner Hadi said he doesn’t have information yet about the data obtained during the search at RSCM. "They are still being processed," he said.
EGI ADYATAMA
