TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The North Sumatra Regional Police claimed there was no involvement of police officers in the death cases in the human cage belonging to the inactive Langkat Regent Terbit Rencana Peranginangin according to the investigation launched by the police’s Directorate of General Criminal Investigation and internal affairs unit (Propam).

Previously, the regional police had examined four members of the Langkat Police and one member of the Binjai Police over their alleged involvement in the abuse case against people who were kept in the cages.

The regional police spokesman Sr. Comr. Hadi Wahyudi said three members of the Langkat Police were used to be assistants of Terbit when the latter ran for the regent position, while another officer is Terbit’s neighbor whose house is about 300 meters away from Terbit's house, and one police officer is Terbit's brother-in-law.

"Based on the investigation, there is no involvement of the National Police members in the incident that led to the death of people or in the management of the cage belonging to Terbit,” Hadi told Tempo, Wednesday, March 23.

He added that the regional police named eight suspects in the abuse case that led to death and the human trafficking (TPPO) case in the house of the non-active Langkat Regent. However, the suspects have not been detained due to several reasons despite they might face the penalty of human trafficking of more than 5 years in prison.

Read: Regional Military Responds to Alleged Personnel Involvement in Human Cage Case

SAHAT SIMATUPANG