The Houses Commission I noted that the government should settle the problem immediately through the political, legal, and security affairs minister.
"The House of Representatives Commission I has urged the government, via the political, legal, and security affairs minister, to resolve the dispute over the import of combat arms for non-military agencies. It needs to be regulated in accordance with the rules," Houses Commission I member Bobby Rizaldi noted in Jakarta on Monday.
He said the import of arms for non-military agencies should be regulated in accordance with Law No. 12 of 1951, Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 1976 on Arms Control, Defense Ministerial Regulation No. 7 of 2010 on Permission, Control & Control of Firearms Outside the Ministry of Defense, and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI).
Rizaldi highlighted the need to initiate the establishment of a memorandum of understanding between the TNI and 12 non-military agencies on the use of weapons.
"This is necessary, so that combat weapons, such as those having a combination of mechanical and gas specifications, are not owned by any institution apart from the TNI," he said.
In addition, he said, specifications of TNI combat weapons are single shot, semi-automatic capable of firing two- or three-shot bursts, and fully automatic. The effective firing range is above 100 meters, 5.56-caliber and above, sharp bullets, and sharp steel core bullets.
Earlier, information had been circulated that weapons held by the Strategic Intelligence Agency comprised 280-caliber 40 x 46 millimeters Stand-Alone Grenade Launcher arsenals and 5,932 bullets.
Police Public Relations Division Head Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto confirmed the information stating that the weapons at Soekarno-Hatta Airport belonged to his institution.
According to Wasisto, the procurement of weapons is in accordance with the procedures, ranging from planning to the auction process.
"The next process is being reviewed by the Police Public Supervision Inspectorate and the Government Development Finance Comptroller staff, including its procurement and purchase by third parties and the process of its entry into Indonesia through the Soekarno-Hatta customs," he remarked.
However, Wasisto denied news of the detention since the Mobile Brigade Corp Commandant Inspector General Murad Ismail and the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency were already aware of the procurement.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
