As of Thursday, 51 army personnel were grilled in connection with this incident, and 29 of them were named suspects and detained, Commander of the Army's Military Police Central Command (Puspomad) Lt. Gen. Dodik Widjanarko stated.
The military police investigators continued their probe to uncover the case, he noted, adding that a retaliation was the suspects' motive behind attacking the police station, although Second Private MI had, in fact, spread a hoax on his beatings.
"They are not satisfied with and do not believe in the Ciracas police officers' explanation that Second Private MI met with a single-vehicle accident," Widjanarko remarked.
Those involved in the early morning assault were incited by false information being circulated. Due to the spirit of the corps, they then partook in the attack and vandalized several facilities at the police station, he noted.
Around 100 people attacked the Ciracas police station in East Jakarta at around 1:45 a.m. local time on Saturday (August 29, 2020).
The attackers vandalized and destroyed several facilities at the station, according to the police.
They also set alight facilities at around 2 a.m. local time, according to the East Jakarta Fire Information Service. Several cars and carts parked on the street were reportedly damaged in the attack.
The attack, resulting in injuries to two policemen and a crew person from ANTV Station, was the second of its kind to have occurred since December 11, 2018, when a group of unidentified people attacked the police station.
Chief of public relations services for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Commissioner Yusri Yunus, noted that the police were yet probing likely links between the two incidents.
The two wounded policemen and the crew person were moved to the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital from the Kramat Jati Police Hospital to receive intensive medical treatment.
In response to the incident, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD sought proper handling of the investigation process in line with the existing laws.
The minister expressed belief that the case can be solved easily owing to the close relations between the military and police chiefs.
However, Mahfud MD has called on the public, at large, including those from law enforcement agencies, to steer clear from acts of vigilantism.
Related news: Three wounded in Ciracas attack shifted to army hospital
Related news: Police, army to conduct large-scale patrols following Ciracas incident
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Syaiful H, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
