Riau Islands Police release prosecutor accused of extorting businessman

Despite allegedly being caught accepting a Rp 200 million (US$23,500) bribe, a prosecutor has been released from police custody after the Riau Islands Prosecutors’ Office stepped in to help him.

Prosecutors’ Office deputy head Agus Djaya told The Jakarta Post on Friday that police had no right to arrest the man as they did not carry out certain procedures. Under current laws, officers must have written approval from the attorney general in order to arrest a prosecutor.

The prosecutor, who has been identified as Jufrizal, was arrested at around 8:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, only to be released from the Riau Islands Police headquarters the following day with the help of fellow prosecutors.

“Police have not arrested our colleague. We have caught him and he has started working as usual. There was no extortion like what was reported earlier. The head prosecutor assigned a supervisory assistant to pick him up at the police headquarters. He’s not in the wrong,” Agus said.

He said that the detention came after someone promised to give information about a construction project to Jufrizal. As that person was afraid to be seen at the prosecutor’s office, they promised agreed to meet elsewhere, he said.

“They decided to meet at night, but the person did not hand over the data, instead giving cash in a carton. The prosecutor was obviously shocked and threw away the carton filled with cash. He fled as he was afraid of the crowd chasing him,” Agus said.

He added that his office had assigned the supervisory assistant to probe the extortion charge and the alleged victim. If the man’s story was proven, the case could be processed according to the existing laws, he said.

Like a scene from an action movie, Riau Islands Police allegedly caught Jufrizal accepting a Rp 200 million bribe, paid in cash stashed inside an instant noodle box, outside the Batam Industrial Development Authority. One of the prosecutors who were with Jufrizal had, at one point, waved a pistol to protect him from being mobbed by a crowd who thought he was a thief.

Ali Akbar was the project consultant who was allegedly blackmailed by Jufrizal. The alleged bribe was paid using money from Ali Akbar, Public Works Office staffer Suratno and a project contractor.

Ali’s father Nur Suparman cried when he learned that Jufrizal was released by police who deemed that he was not in the wrong.

“There might be a backlash from us if the legal process is not carried out as it should,” said Suparman.

Riau Islands Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Hartono said that Jufrizal was released because the Riau Islands Prosecutor’s Office wanted to examine him internally.

“The prosecutor’s office does not completely believe that its member had committed extortion, so they forcefully picked Jufrizal up for examination at the prosecutor’s office. We have handed him to them, but we will build the case,” Hartono said.

Batam municipal council Commission I member Riki Solihin urged the attorney general to intervene in the case. He said that his commission has always doubted the seriousness of police efforts to investigate the case.

“This proves that law enforcement is hampered by the corrupt mentality of our law enforcers. We urge the attorney general and prosecutor’s commission to intervene in the case. We want the legal process to be fair,” Riki said.