Bandarlampung, Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Three police officers who shot local residents in an incident in Mesuji, Lampung Province, southern Sumatra, last November are currently undergoing an internal legal process, Lampung Police Chief Brig Gen Joodie Rooseto said.

"Members of the force who erred while carrying out their duties have been disciplined but if in a further investigation it is proven they had shot people on purpose, they will be dealt with according to existing law," Joodie said in year-end expose of the Lampung police`s performance here Thursday.

He said it was not easy to investigate the shooting case involving the three officers as it required the presence of witnesses that were few in number and the presentation of evidence such as the bullets and guns they had used while the three had insisted they had acted in self-defense.

"Until now, a Lampung police team is continuing to search for data and facts that can reveal the truth in the case," he said.

The incident involving the three police officers was related to a land dispute at a spot locally known as Register 45 in the Mesuji region.

According to Lampung police records, 11 agrarian conflicts had happened in Lampung but in only two cases had people been killed, namely in the concession area of PT Barat Selatan Makmur Invesindo (BSMI) and at Register 45 in Mesuji.

Earlier, Joodie had denied that a massacre of 30 people had happened in his jurisdiction.

"We made checks at the location mentioned in the video circulated on the internet and picked up by international media but did not find any facts supporting the allegations of a massacre in Mesuji," he said.
(Uu.HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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