(They) have been named suspects. First, the suspects are six naval officers. The investigators are currently conducting in-depth investigation into 15 Air Force soldiers.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Commander of the Military Police Center (Puspom), Major General Eddy Rate Muis, confirmed on Wednesday that six naval soldiers have been named suspects in the August 29 attack on the Ciracas police station.

“(They) have been named suspects. First, the suspects are six naval officers. The investigators are currently conducting in-depth investigation into 15 Air Force soldiers,” he said at a press conference at the Military Police Center Station of the Indonesian Army here.

With the addition of six suspects, the total number of suspects in the attack case has reached 56, including 50 personnel from the Army.

Based on a preliminary investigation, the six suspects allegedly joined in the attack after their esprit de corps was invoked by fellow Indonesian military (TNI) members, Eddy informed.

“As fellow TNI members, they could not accept their colleagues being mistreated or tortured. The second motive is that they assembled on the scene of the accident after receiving fake news,” he said.

Eddy said the six suspects have been charged with violating articles 170 and 169 of the Penal Code.

Article 169, Paragraph (1), stipulates that anybody engaged in an organization/association to commit a crime can be sentenced to up to six years in jail.

Article 170 of the Penal Code stipulates that anybody who joins other people to commit violence against another person can be sentenced to a maximum of five years and six months in jail.

Around 100 persons reportedly attacked the Ciracas police station in East Jakarta around 1.45 a.m. local time on August 29, 2020.

The attackers vandalized and destroyed several facilities at the station, according to the police.

They also set alight facilities 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, which left two policemen and a crew person from ANTV Station injured, was the second of its kind to have occurred since December 11, 2018, when a group of unidentified people attacked the police station.


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Translator: Syaiful Hakim/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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