The Jakarta Post, October 26, 2002
Maluku military helps police to hunt blast suspects
Oktovianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Maluku
Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso, chief of the Pattimura Military Command overseeing
Maluku and North Maluku, threw his weight behind a police move to locate the
whereabouts of Berty Loupatty alias Berty Coker, who is the leader of the notorious
Coker group, in relation to the investigation into acts of terrorism and a series of bomb
blasts in Ambon, the capital of Maluku, and on Saparua island.
Djoko also vowed that his command would act resolutely against any military
personnel involved in the crimes.
In an apparent bid to show its support, he said the command had assigned two
officers to assist the police during the manhunt.
"We support the hunt, and two officers from the command have been sent to join the
police," Djoko told a press briefing here on Friday.
The two-star general admitted that long before he was posted to Maluku, he had heard
about how the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) employed Berty as an informant in
the territory.
However, as soon as he received reports that Berty was indicated to have been
involved in various crimes, he immediately instructed the Kopassus officers who "took
care of" Berty to let the latter go.
"I heard reports that Berty is a Kopassus informant and he is kept safe in a Kopassus
post in the Mardika area, near the Amans Hotel. As soon as I found out that he was
involved in various crimes, I ordered the officers to let him go or send him back home,"
Djoko said.
Insinuating a lack of coordination on the part of the local police, Djoko said he had
heard about the arrest of 15 suspects for the blasts and acts of terrorism from the
mass media, rather than from the police.
The suspects have been transferred to National Police Headquarters in Jakarta for
further questioning.
Djoko also voiced his concern that military personnel were often alleged to be involved
in incidents without any information being given to the command.
"I'm concerned as people often point the finger at military personnel when an incident
occurs. If they (soldiers) are proven guilty, they will be punished severely," Djoko said,
citing the measures taken against Chief Pvt. Kanafi who was punished and dismissed
from the military after he along Berty was involved several armed robberies in the city.
Separately, command spokesman Maj. Herry Suhardi said that 600 personnel from
the 733 Masariku Airborne Infantry Battalion in the city would be sent back to Papua
on Sunday after serving a one-year assignment in the province. But he declined to
give comments on whether the pullout has something to do with the allegation into
soldiers' involvement in the prolonged conflict in the province.
Herry also disclosed that Ambon Military chief Col. Hudawi Lubis would be replaced
by Col. Toni Husodo, who was now serving as an operations assistant to the
Pattimura Military commander.
Hudawi was to return to his home base, Kopassus Headquarters in Cijantung, East
Jakarta.
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