"I thank Mr Haris Azhar for the information that a two star general of TNI was involved," Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said on Thursday he thanks Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Haris Azhar for information implicating a two star general of TNI in drug business.

The drug business was operated by Freddy Budiman, one of the drug convicts executed in Nusakambangan last week.

"I thank Mr Haris Azhar for the information that a two star general of TNI was involved," Gatot said here.

Haris Azhar has written an article titled "Rotten Story from a Bandit: Testimony from a Meeting with Freddy Budiman at Nusa Kambangan Prison (2014)".

In the article Hari quoted Freddy as claiming to have bribed law enforcement officers with hundreds of billions of rupiahs to protect his illicit business in the country.

"In my calculation in the years of work to smuggle narcotics , I have given Rp450 billion to BNN officials. I have given Rp90 billion to certain officials of the police head quarters. I have even used a car of a two star TNI general," Freddy was quoted as saying in 2014 as written by Haris.

The TNI Chief said he has set up an internal team to investigate and find the truth of the allegation that a high ranking official of TNI had allegedly helped Freddy, a notorious leader of drug dealers in bringing drugs from Medan to Jakarta.

"A two star general means a military regional commander (Pangdam). If the Pangdam carrying narcotics by car from Medan to Jakarta he certainly had an escort especially when he left his territorial area," Gatot said.

The process of investigation by the TNI Internal Team would use all pieces of information including information from Supriyadi, former Air Force sergeant, who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2013 for helping Freddy Budiman in the smuggle of 1.4 million ecstasy pills, the general said.

Investigation based on the article of Haris Azhar would also provide be a momentum of improvement and introspection by the TNI, he said.

"This crime will certainly implicate law enforcement apparatuses, government apparatuses including TNI. That, I am very much aware of, therefore, we will carry out internal cleansing," he said.

Earlier the Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) said it had received defamation reports from TNI, BNN and police against Haris Azhar.

Police chief spokesman Ins.Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said hopefully there would be new evidence in the process of handling reports filed with the Bareskrim.

Boy said it was regrettable that Haris published the testimony after Freddy was dead .

He said police doubted the authenticity of the statements supposedly made by Freddy as written by Haris.

There is no proof to back up the claims such as in the form of recorded voices, other than what written by Haris based on his memory, Boy pointed out.

"I am not saying that it was easily a fabrication, but in my opinion there is something doubtful in what Freddy had said to Haris," he said.

Police, however, said Haris was not yet named a suspect.

Meanwhile President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was quoted as saying investigations should be carried out into the allegation.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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