Medan – A team from the North Sumatra Committee for the Safety of Journalists (KKJ Sumut) and Kamisan (Thursday Action) activists are urging the North Sumatra regional police (Polda) to investigate First Corporal (Koptu) HB over the alleged premeditated murder of Tribrata TV journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu, who died along with his family in an arson attack on their home on June 27.
The KKJ Sumut along with the Kamisan activists made the call during an action at the North Sumatra regional police headquarters on Thursday afternoon, July 25.
KKJ Sumut is comprised of the Medan Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Sumut Association of Indonesian Television Journalists (IJTI), the Medan Indonesian Photo Reporters (PFI), the Sumut Indonesian Women Journalists Forum (FJPI), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Medan Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) and the North Sumatra Legal Aid and People's Advocacy (Bakumsu).
Action coordinator Cristison Sondang Pane said that the case has still not been solved and it is suspected that the mastermind behind the perpetrators in the case has yet to be investigated.
"We are convinced that that there are other actors who have not been questioned by the Sumut Polda. Based on the reconstruction carried out by the Sumut Polda, the alleged involvement of Koptu HB was revealed in the case of Rico Sempurna Pasaribu's death", said Pane.
Pane said that even though the facts are absolutely clear, the authorities have yet to touch First Corporal HB. In fact, there has been no news on the questioning of the rogue Indonesian Military (TNI) soldier. Moreover in the police reconstruction of the crime, HB actually met with Bebas Ginting or Bulang, one of the suspects in the case.
"Koptu HB, in the reconstruction held by the Polda Sumut, ordered Bulang to immediately meet with Rico Sempurna Pasaribu to discuss the news reports published by the victim. We hope that what was revealed in the reconstruction can be pursued further", he said.
North Sumatra's Kontras advocacy staff member Ady Kemit and Kamisan Action activist Nikita Situmeang have also urged that HB be questioned and prosecuted.
"Because, in the reconstruction held by the Polda Sumut, the name Koptu HB was mentioned several times. In fact, the role of Koptu HB was also elaborated on in the reconstruction process", they said.
Meanwhile, Medan LBH Director Irvan Saputra said that they recently submitted additional evidence with the Bukit Barisan I Regional Military Command (Kodam) Military Police (Pomdam I/BB) on Thursday afternoon, July 25.
The evidence is in the form of new facts related to the alleged involvement of Koptu HB in the death of Pasaribu and his family.
"With the submission of this new evidence, it's fitting for the Pomdam I/BB to conduct an examination and determine the status of Koptu HB", said Saputra.
Saputra believes that they have already submitted a great deal of evidence, not just will the Pomdam I/BB, but also with the Army Military Police Headquarters (Puspomad). It is hoped that the authorities will not protect soldiers who are suspected of being involved in the alleged premeditated murder of Pasaribu.
During the action at the North Sumatra regional police headquarters, KKJ Sumut and the Kamisan activists brought two replica coffins as a symbol of the death of justice.
They also brought two scarecrows and posters containing criticisms and calls for the case to be immediately and fully resolved and not to just let three people be named as suspects. (fnr/sfr)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Kasus Wartawan Karo Tewas, Polda Didesak Ungkap Keterlibatan Koptu HB".]
