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East Java village chief admits to bribing police in illegal mining case
Jakarta Globe - October 12, 2015
The illegal operation, in the village of Selok Awar Awar in Lumajang district, was unraveled after a farmer, Salim, also known as Kancil, was brutally murdered last month after leading a series of protests against it. The mine has been operational for a year.
Three officers from the Pasirian subdistrict police: a former chief Adj. Comr. Sudarmanto, the current criminal investigation unit chief Second Insp. Samsul Hadi and chief of public order and security Second Adj. Insp. Sigit Purnomo are now facing an internal ethics tribunal at the East Java Provincial Police headquarters in capital Surabaya.
Prosecutors at the tribunal brought in village chief Hariyono to testify against the three officers on Monday, during which Hariyono admitted to providing Rp 1 million ($74.50) per month to Sudarmanto and Rp 500,000 each to both Samsul and Sigit.
"We provided [the officers] with incentives [for protecting the mining activities]," Hariyono told the hearing as quoted by Detik.com news portal. "The payment was made to the public order chief."
Prosecutors also presented Harmoko, a backhoe operator in the mine, who told the hearing that the village chief was given Rp 270,000 per truck carrying sand from Selok Awar Awar. The miners also gave Hariyono Rp 27 million, which Hariyono claimed to be for road maintenance. Harmoko said he doesn't know what the Rp 270,000 truck fee was used for.
East Java police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Setiadi said the officers could also be charged criminally if found guilty by the ethics tribunal.
"The criminal case will follow the disciplinary hearing, because they are receiving bribes which is a criminal offense," he said during a visit to the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on Monday.
Police have charged 23 people for the murder of Salim, including Hariyono who police identified as the mastermind behind the killing and the illegal mining operation, since the murder received nationwide attention.
Police also suspected that more were in on the action because officers in the area allowed the mine to operate for over a year, and failed to provide protection to protesting farmers despite repeated reports having of receiving death threats and intimidation.
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