TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-
Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro has guaranteed that the TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces) Army's investigative team will inspect all firearms used in several of its quarters, including the rifles and handguns used by the Diponegoro Military Area Command and Special Forces Command (Kopassus) of Kandang Menjangan, Sukoharjo, Central Java.
The investigation team, Purnomo said, will wait for ballistic results from the National Police (Polri) Headquarters. According to him, the team had coordinated with the police and will work with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). However, Purnomo was reluctant to disclose any developments in the investigation.
The spokesman for the Polri Headquarters, Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar, previously said the forensic team had completed its ballistics report. However, Boy was unwilling to disclose the results.
On Saturday morning two weeks ago, Cebongan Penitentiary in Sleman, Yogyakarta, was raided by dozens of men armed with rifles, pistols, and grenades. They broke through the prison gates, took guards as hostages and shot four inmates dead. The inmates were suspects of a scuffle at Hugo's Cafe, which resulted in the death of First Sergeant Santoso, a Kopassus member.
In cell 5A where the shooting took place, 20 projectiles were found along with 31 shells of 7.62mm caliber casings. The bullets are believed to come from an AK-47. A Tempo source who was at the scene said he saw attackers using FN 57s, a type of gun used by elite troops in a number of countries, including Indonesia.
On Friday last week, Army Chief if Staff Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo said he had formed a team to investigate the Cebongan attack. He said the team would identify any involvement of TNI Army personnel.
"The interim findings of the investigation team formed by the police point to the involvement or role of the TNI Army in Central Java," He said.
INDRA WIJAYA | RUSMAN PARAQBUEQ | MUH SYAIFULLAH | ANTON APRIANTO | MUHAMAD RIZKI | PRAM
