TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The time given to investigate the claims of drug lord Freddy Budiman that he channeled money to senior police officers was too short. National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian assigned only one month to look into this serious and disturbing allegations of a drug kingpin prior to his execution. The team consisting of independent members was terminated around mid-September, just as it began to uncover the money trail to a number of police officers.
The police chief can actually do much in the effort to seek the truth. He could extend the investigation time, or he could form a task force to follow up on the findings of the first team. He could also use the momentum to clean house. After all, rumors have been rampant that some members of the police force like those in other law enforcement agencies were in or behind the drug businesses.
It would be very disappointing if the police chief just handed over the team's findings to the professional and security division, a tightly wound police internal unit. It is encouraging to note that the team, largely made up of high-ranking police officials, had actually set a precedent: announcing the findings to the public. It is this independent and transparent principle that should be continued in the attempt to unravel what President Joko Widodo has called an extraordinary crime.
Granted, the team failed to proof that Rp90 billion went to police officers and Rp450 billion was channeled to National Narcotics Agency (BNN) officers, as claimed by Freddy to Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violent Crimes (Kontras). It did find, however, that Rp688 million from Chandra Halim, also known as Akiong, a drug accomplice of Freddy, was funneled to a mid-ranking police officer. It also found indications of funds flowing to other National Police officers in amounts ranging from tens of millions to over a billion rupiah.
This is not a trivial matter. The team's statement that the recipients of the money held various ranks within the police force, from the precinct to the national levels, also shed light on the grim reality that the police had an active role in the proliferation of narcotics trade. What makes this reality appear even worse is the involvement of members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) strategic intelligence agency.
The gravity of the drug problem in Indonesia is highlighted through the BNN's data on the amount of cash circulating in the narcotics trade, a staggering Rp63 trillion, or equivalent to 23 percent of the state budget. The records also show that the business was growing at a rate of 7-8 percent annually with around 30 tons of methamphetamines circulating last year alone. The agency managed to foil the smuggling of only six tons. This illicit business claimed more than 12,000 lives last year alone.
These chilling data should send the government scrambling to find ways to eradicate the murderous trade from its roots. The President should take over the investigation from the law enforcement agencies the National Police, the BNN or even the TNI that were proven to be involved in racketeering activities. If he is so convinced of the death sentence for drug dealers, Jokowi must also be convinced to form a team of independent investigators to expose the deadly conspiracy between law enforcement officers and drug dealers.
The initial findings coupled with Akiong's open testimony and more than 80 complaints filed by the public against unscrupulous police officers should be used as a strong basis for further action, and not wasted in the hands of the internal police unit with vested interests. (*)
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
