BUGISWARTA.COM, BONE - Dozens of alleged corruption cases reported by various Civil Society Organizations in Bone, South Sulawesi, have reportedly hit a standstill in their processing at the Bone District Police.
This situation prompted a group of around a dozen activists from local NGOs in Bone to visit the Head of Bone District Police, Chief Superintendent Arief Doddy Suryawan, to question the causes of the sluggish handling of these alleged corruption cases. The meeting took place on Monday, August 7, 2023.
The social activists were received by Chief Superintendent Arief in his office. He was accompanied by Chief of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Bone District Police, Superintendent Bobby Rachman, and the Head of the Intelligence Unit of Bone District Police, Inspector One Muhammad Yufsin.
Muhammad Rusdi, the General Chairperson of the Lamellong NGO, stated to BUGISWARTA.COM that he and other activists aimed to directly inquire with the Bone District Police Chief about the slow progress in handling several cases that were reported to the Bone Police.
"We have compiled a list of cases that have unclear progress in Bone District Police. According to our records, there are about 30 cases, including nine cases that we, along with several other NGOs, have reported," said Rusdi.
Rusdi mentioned that the residents of Bone District hoped that the Bone Police would pay special attention to cases of corruption, as these cases have significant impacts on the community.
"Our purpose in coming here (to the Bone District Police Headquarters) is to remind the police chief if he forgets, and if he is not aware because the cases were ongoing before he assumed his role as the police chief in Bone, we will bring it to his attention," added Rusdi.
Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Arief mentioned that during his tenure in Bone, he had indeed given special attention to a number of cases. However, he clarified that as the police chief, he could not directly expose the details of the case-handling process to the public.
"There are units or departments that handle these cases, including the technical aspects managed by the Public Relations Unit. Everything is governed by mechanisms. I am concerned that if information is not conveyed through the proper mechanisms, it might lead to various interpretations from the public," stated Arief.
Furthermore, Superintendent Bobby Rachman, Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Bone District Police, remarked that nearly all cases reported by the NGO activists were related to corruption. He explained that corruption cases often required an extensive amount of time for investigation and prosecution.
"Corruption cases require the determination of state losses first. However, determining state losses is not within the jurisdiction of the police. We need auditors for this. Moreover, the official decision regarding corruption cases is not made at the district police level but at the regional police level. In essence, the determination of corruption involves multiple parties and thus, the processing time is inherently long," clarified Bobby. (Mg 02)