Labora Sitorus: Tribun/Herudin

The West Papua Police chief and the head of the High Prosecutor'€™s Office have been urged to be firm and bold in recapturing and executing the sentence handed down against money-laundering convict Labora Sitorus, who walked out of the Sorong penitentiary last March.

'€œThe heads of the West Papua Police and High Prosecutor'€™s Office must be bold enough to seek Labora and execute the sentence handed down against him by the Supreme Court. Furthermore, the Sorong Prosecutor'€™s Office has placed Labora on the wanted list. There must be clear action, not just appeals or statements,'€ said legal and human rights lawyer and activist Yan Christian Warinussy in West Papua.

There was an impression that law enforcers were reluctant to apprehend Labora and had given him leeway to commit crimes, said Warinussy, strengthening public allegations of a collusion between law enforcers and Labora.

'€œThis is important for the sake of law enforcement and to ensure that the police and prosecution institutions are not involved in Labora'€™s business so far. I also hope the police and prosecutor'€™s office could show progress in enforcing the law. Labora'€™s business could poison leaders in both institutions,'€ said Warinussy.

The Labora case first emerged in May 2013 following a leak from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) stating that a low-ranking police officer was linked to bank transactions totaling Rp 1 trillion (US$78.8 million). Later on, the Papua Police found that Labora and his family controlled some companies that illegally sold timber and subsidized fuel.

Labora was convicted by the Sorong District Court and sentenced to two years imprisonment and fined Rp 500 million. He filed for an appeal at the Jayapura High Court, which increased his sentence to eight years. Labora then filed for another appeal at the Supreme Court, which rejected his appeal and handed down an even harsher sentence against him: 15 years in prison and a fine of Rp 5 billion.

Papua High Prosecutor'€™s Office head Herman de Silva said his office was still coordinating with the police in West Papua, especially the Sorong City Police and Sorong penitentiary officers, regarding the manhunt for Labora.

'€œWe are still coordinating with the relevant parties, so I don'€™t dare to say much. Basically, I'€™ve conducted coordination to recapture Labora and execute his sentence,'€ Herman told the media in Jayapura on Monday.

'€œWe are currently still focusing on coordination with the West Papua Police chief, the Sorong City Police chief and the Sorong prison warden,'€ said Herman.

Although it is known that Labora is in his home in Sorong, the West Papua Police can not arrest him because he is equipped with a letter of freedom issued by the Sorong penitentiary.

'€œLabora is currently at his home in Sorong. When police officers wanted to arrest him, Labora showed them the letter of release issued by the Sorong penitentiary. So, we are impeded by the letter,'€ West Papua Police chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw told Kompas on Sunday.

Paulus said the West Papua Police expected coordination between the Sorong Prosecutor'€™s Office and the Law and Human Rights Ministry regarding Labora'€™s release letter.

'€œWe have taken a stance to wait for an administrative explanation before detaining the convict,'€ said Paulus.

A Sorong penitentiary warden said Labora had left the detention facility on March 17, 2014, saying he wanted to seek medical treatment. The prison'€™s physician, who had examined Sitorus, said the former policeman suffered pains in his waist while his right leg was numb. Labora never returned.

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