Very regrettable that police were such in a hurry to submit the dossier..."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) accuses police of not being professional in handling the corruption case of Labora Sitorus, a low ranking police officer who stole wide public attention for amassing wealth worth trillions of rupiah.

Police have submitted the dossier of chief brig. Sitorus, who is charged with oil fuel and timber smuggling and money laundering worth Rp7 trillion, to the prosecution office.

The indictment is weak that the court is feared to acquit Sitorus for lack of evidence, IPW chairman Neta S Pane said.

"Very regrettable that police were such in a hurry to submit the dossier to the prosecution office on Sept 19," Pane said.

The indictment in the dossier is weak saying nothing about involvement of other parties in the money laundering charge, he said.

"Although Labora Sitorus has complete data about 33 police officials receiving transfers of money from him," he said here on Saturday.

With the dossier, police tried to protect the 33 officials pinning the blame only on Labora in oil fuel and timber smuggling, he said.

No one would believe it that a low ranking police officer committing smuggling in broad day light without protection for years, Pane had said earlier.

The prosecution office should work to complete the dossier by investigating alleged transfers of fund to the 33 police officials, he said.

He said if the case was brought to court with such dossier, Labora could easily be acquitted of all charges.

In 2007 and 2010, court declared Labora not guilty in similar cases on indictment being too weak, he said.

He said the PPATK should help provide data about alleged transfers of fund from Labora to the 33 police.

He said there were 12 transfers of fund to the police headquarters in Jakarta through bank account no 1550003319730 at Bank Mandiri.

There were also four transfers of fund to high ranking police officers in Papua in 2012 including Rp629,750,000 in January, Rp225 million in June, Rp300 million in August and Rp150 million in September, he said, adding in 2013 there was a transfer of Rp200 million in February.

Sorong police officials received Rp1.25 billion in 8 transfers in 2012, he cited.

Earlier Pane said in order to bring the case to the open, Labora needs protection to give him courage to speak louder about the truth.

Labora Sitorus could be made a whistle blower, he said.

He said IPW had asked the Agency for Protection of Witnesses and Victims (LPSK) to give protection for Labora Sitorus and make him a whistle blower.

"Not just LPSK, but the Commission III of the House of Representatives and KPK have to protect Labora in uprooting corruption in police," he said.
(Uu.H-ASG/S012)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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