[Kabar-indonesia] JP: Investigation widening into massive arms stash

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, July 1, 2006

Investigation widening into massive arms stash

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto said 
Friday military police were investigating the possible involvement of other Army 
officers in the huge weapons cache found in the home of a deceased officer.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also instructed the TNI to use all related 
units, including intelligence, in the investigation and to see that the law 
was enforced, he said.

"The TNI is conducting a serious probe so we can thoroughly detect the 
substance of these weapons, how so many of them ended up in one place, where they 
came from and who else knew about the storing of the weapons," Suyanto said.

The military police discovered 145 rifles, 42 pistols, 28,985 bullets, nine 
grenades and 28 pairs of binoculars at the home of the Army's deputy to the 
assistant in charge of logistics, Brig. Gen. Koesmayadi, who died on June 25 of 
heart problems.

Army Chief of Staff Djoko Santoso had announced Thursday that the discovery 
was made during the standard TNI procedure for the return of inventory from 
retiring and deceased personnel.

He called the storing of the weapons in the home "highly irregular and beyond 
acceptable practice", but declined to speculate on why they were in the home.

Suyanto asked the public Friday to allow sufficient time for the 
investigation, because it was linked to other cases. "I don't want to speculate about it 
by jumping to assumptions," he said.

But he also said it was impossible for Koesmayadi to have stored or intended 
to use the weapons by himself. Investigators also would ascertain if the 
collection was made recently or over several years.

"The process is underway, and we're now looking for those we want to question 
and information so that we can pursue an investigation ...

"Many of the types are used for operations, but many are also for (military) 
practice."

Koesmayadi graduated from the Military Academy in 1975. Before being promoted 
to the Army's deputy to the assistant in charge of logistics, he was the 
assistant for logistics affairs at the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).

Ade Nasution, a member of House Commission I which oversees military matters, 
said his commission was scheduled to hold a hearing next week with Djoko 
Santoso to demand an explanation about the hoard.

"The arms' seizure has raised much speculation and it is a very rare event 
that the Army leadership announces such cases to the public," he said.

Ade declined to speculate on the case, but he said the commission considered 
the Army unprofessional.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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