JAKARTA: The police officer who drove an armoured vehicle that killed Jakarta delivery rider Affan Kurniawan on Aug 28 amid street protests has been demoted for seven years.
Chief Brigadier Rohmat was found guilty of violating police ethical standards at a hearing on Thursday (Sep 4) but escaped dismissal.
The National Police Commission (Kompolnas), an independent police watchdog, said Rohmat was acting under orders from his team commander Cosmas Kaju Gae, who was dismissed a day earlier.
Kompolnas Commissioner Ida Oetari Poernamasasi noted that the armoured vehicle had multiple blind spots, preventing Rohmat from fully monitoring his surroundings. It had a broken mirror on the left side, news outlet Jakarta Globe quoted Ida as saying. The situation outside was also chaotic.
“The sanction of a seven-year demotion matches the remainder of the violator’s service period in the Indonesian National Police,” said Senior Commissioner Heri Setiawan, who presided over the Code of Ethics Committee session on Rohmat’s conduct.
Heri described Rohmat’s actions as “despicable”, news outlet Tempo reported.
There are no details of what rank Rohmat has been demoted to.
Five other Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers were seated at the back of the vehicle at the time, and are also facing ethics trials.
They are Police 2nd Sub-Inspector M Rohyani, Police 1st Brigadier Danang, Police 1st Brigadier Mardin, Senior Patrolman Jana Edi and Senior Patrolman Yohanes David.
Besides ethical sanctions, Kompolnas has recommended criminal charges for the seven officers involved in Affan’s death.
Source: CNA
