The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A police officer in North Sumatra was replaced Friday for ignoring orders to arrest Adelin Lis, the fugitive acquitted of illegal logging and corruption, a high-ranking police official said.
As part of further investigations into the high-profile case, police are also planning to question several witnesses from Adelin's trial.
They cited suspicions of bribery behind the withdrawal of their testimony against the businessman, who was charged with causing losses of Rp 119.8 billion (US$2 million) and US$2.9 million to the state through illegal logging and corruption.
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said Sr. Comr. Artsianto Darmawan, deputy head of the general crimes unit at the North Sumatra Police, was removed from his post for disciplinary reasons.
Though acquitted of illegal logging and corruption and released from a jail in Medan on Nov. 5, police now want to detain and question Adelin over money laundering charges.
"Artsianto knew the police still had pending cases against Adelin and were planning to arrest him once he was released from jail, but he didn't do anything about it?" Bambang said, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Artsianto has been transferred to the Police Staff college, and has been replaced by Adj. Sr. Comr. Darmawan Sutawijaya.
Adelin, the financial director of PT Keang Nam Development Indonesia, was indicted for violating the laws on corruption and the forestry industry.
He was facing a possible 10 years in jail and a fine of Rp 1 billion (around $111,000), in addition to having to refunding all state losses.
However, the panel of judges at the Medan District Court hearing the case said the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Adelin.
The verdict outraged many, who became even more upset when the judges who heard the case received promotions.
A junior attorney general, MS Rahardjo, said Friday the prosecutors who prepared the indictment in Adelin Lis' trial would be investigated.(dic/rff)
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