T

he police may have failed to foresee the recent attack on four inmates at Cebongan Penitentiary in Sleman, Yogyakarta, and may have ignored potential clues that an attack was imminent, says a security expert.

Four inmates, identified as Hendrik Angel Sahetapi, Yohanes Juan Manbait, Gameliel Yermianto Rohi Riwu and Adrianus Candra Galaja, were shot and killed by a group of gunmen who stormed into the penitentiary in the small hours of March 23.

The four inmates, originating from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), allegedly killed First Sgt. Heru Santoso, a former Army Special Forces (Kopassus) commando, at Hugo’s Café in Yogyakarta.

The four had been moved from their detention cell at the Yogyakarta Police headquarters to Cebongan on March 22 under tight police security. However, the police did not provide adequate security after the four arrived at the Cebongan.

“It’s strange if intelligence failed to consider the possibility of such an attack because following the murder of First Sgt. Heru at Hugo’s Café on March 19, a search had been carried out by a group [the identity of which remains unclear] on people hailing from NTT living in Yogyakarta,” said M. Najib Azca, a security expert from Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University.

Najib added that the transfer of the detainees to Cebongan suggested the police were reluctant to come face to face with other parties.

“A thorough investigation must be carried out by an independent team involving the police, military, university and NGOs. Komnas Ham [National Commission on Human Rights] could initiate this,” said Najib.

National Police Commission (Kompolnas) member Insp. Gen. (ret.) Logam Siagian acknowledged that intelligence had failed to sense the attack.

Logam and his Kompolnas colleague Hamidah Abdulrahman were in Yogyakarta to meet Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Sabar Rahardjo and visit Cebongan Penitentiary on Thursday.

They sought information on whether police personnel had been professional in securing the four suspects.

Hamidah said Kompolnas suggested that police investigators draw sketches of the members of the attackers because some of them had were not wearing masks when they arrived at the prison.

“We suggest that the Yogyakarta Police chief consider even the smallest matter in disclosing the perpetrators of this attack, executed by skilled individuals equipped with weapons.

Yogyakarta Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Anny Pujiastuti said the police would do their utmost to resolve the case. After completing the investigation at the crime scene, police are now questioning 45 witnesses.

Sociologist Thamrin Amal Tomagola from the University of Indonesia previously said that the murder of Heru might be related to drug dealing, since one of the slain detainees had knowledge of a drug ring inside the cafe.

The café, he said, was known as the center of a drug network that operated freely, without subject to raids. The Sleman administration has revoked the operation permit of Hugo’s Cafe.