Former Indonesian police inspector-general Ferdy Sambo at his trial in Jakarta on Monday. - Reuters
JAKARTA (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): An Indonesian court sentenced former police inspector-general Ferdy Sambo to death on Monday (Feb 13) for the premeditated murder of his bodyguard, bringing to a close a high-profile scandal that has thrust the country’s police force into the spotlight over alleged impunity and corruption.
The South Jakarta district court concluded that the 49-year-old former internal affairs chief at the National Police was “legally and convincingly guilty” of masterminding the killing of a junior officer, Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, 27, on July 8, 2022, and attempting to cover up his crime by ordering the destruction of closed-circuit television evidence.
Ferdy’s sentence was heavier than the life imprisonment sought by prosecutors.
In sentencing, presiding Judge Wahyu Iman Santoso said aggravating factors included the fact that Ferdy had killed his own subordinate who had worked for him for three years, and that the death had caused deep sorrow to the victim’s family.
“The defendant’s action had triggered widespread unrest and commotion in the community. It is also inappropriate for his position as a law enforcement officer,” Judge Wahyu said.
“The defendant’s actions had also tarnished the institution of the National Police in the eyes of the Indonesian community and the international community. The defendant was also convoluted in giving information and did not admit to his crime.”
A courtroom packed with journalists cheered when the verdict was read, but Ferdy appeared emotionless. It is unclear if he would appeal against the sentence.
The murder plot, which is detailed in a 97-page indictment and witnesses’ testimonies, reads like a crime novel.
It all started on July 7, 2022, a day before the murder, when Ferdy’s wife Putri Chandrawathi, 49, telephoned him to complain that Nofriansyah had tried to sexually harass her during a trip to Magelang, Central Java. She repeated her claim when they returned to Jakarta the next afternoon.
Furious, Ferdy summoned another subordinate, junior police officer Richard Eliezer Pudihang Lumliu, 24, and asked if he “had the guts to shoot” Nofriansyah. Richard expressed his readiness.
Ferdy told Richard that Nofriansyah had insulted him and that he “must die”, Judge Wahyu told the court.
“The defendant (Ferdy) said that if Richard were to kill, Ferdy would be able to protect him. But if Ferdy were to kill instead, he wouldn’t be able to protect everyone,” the judge said.
Ferdy said the shooting would be seen as an act of self-defence and him providing protection to Putri.
That evening, at Ferdy’s residence in South Jakarta, Richard fired his Glock-17 three or four times at an unarmed Nofriansyah until he collapsed. Holding a gun in his gloved hand, Ferdy then fatally shot the wounded man with a bullet to the back of his head.
The two-star general then staged the scene to make it look like a shoot-out between his two subordinates. He shot at a wall near Nofriansyah several times. He then placed the dead man’s gun back in his hand and manipulated it to fire at the opposite wall.
But his scheme was exposed after footage showing police ordering Nofriansyah’s family not to open his coffin when it was delivered to their home went viral on social media. Discrepancies soon emerged between official police statements and accounts by Nofriansyah’s family, who suspected foul play after seeing bruises and cuts on his body, in addition to bullet wounds.
Holding a framed photograph of Nofriansyah in court, his mother Rosita Simanjuntak burst into tears when the verdict was read. She told reporters after the trial: “God has gifted us a miracle in court today... God is good and mighty.”
She added: “From now on, I hope there won’t be any more cases of people, police officers, being used by their superiors to commit crimes.”
Amid public pressure, President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
Indonesian National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo formed a special investigative team, who found that the police officers investigating the case earlier had acted “unprofessionally” at the crime scene and that there were some attempts to destroy and tamper with evidence.
Kamarudin Simanjuntak, Mr Nofriansyah’s lawyer, said of the verdict: “The decision of the panel of judges is a victory for all Indonesians. The people have got justice.”
Court hearings also revealed that Ferdy was a very influential and respected figure whose orders were seldom disobeyed. He had also prepared rewards for his subordinates in the form of cash and iPhone 13 Pro Max phones for their roles in the murder.
Ferdy’s wife was also convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to 20 years in jail. Two police officers and a family assistant are expected to be sentenced this week.
The saga came on the back of a series of cases of police misconduct, eroding public trust in the institution.
Former West Sumatra Police chief Teddy Minahasa was detained in October 2022 on suspicion of distributing drugs.
Also, a number of police officers are on trial over charges of criminal negligence for indiscriminate use of tear gas at a football match in October 2022 which triggered a stampede, killing 135 fans.
Indonesians have called for reform and better governance in the police force, which enjoyed wide-ranging powers after it was hived off from the Suharto-era military in 1999 and placed directly under the authority of the president in 2002. The police force was able to draft policies and budgets, in addition to carrying out day-to-day security management and law enforcement.
Critics noted that the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), an independent civilian oversight institution which supervises the police, could only advise the police chief but lacked the authority to issue sanctions.
