Bribery is unfortunately synonymous with the Indonesian police force in the minds of many, so much so that when a cop doesn’t accept bribes out of principle, he is lavished with praise and makes headlines nationwide.
The tendency for cops to take what’s not rightfully theirs may be explained by the many cases in which prospective police officers have allegedly bribed their way onto the force. Occasionally, such schemes are exposed in the media, such as a recent case in East Java involving a sizable sum of money.
A policewoman working for the East Java Provincial Police, identified by the initial S, is now under investigation by internal affairs for allegedly receiving IDR450 million (US$30,245) by a prospective police officer’s family in order to “smooth” his recruitment process.
S allegedly received the bribe during an officer intake in April. However, the would-be officer failed to make the cut regardless of S’ promises, after which his family reported her to the police.
“We are investigating this case. The alleged culprit has been interrogated as well. We will be transparent about this case,” East Java Police Spokesperson Frans Barung Mangera told reporters today, as quoted by Okezone.
Frans added that, if the police find enough evidence against her, S will be dishonorably discharged from the force and have to stand trial in a criminal court for abuse of authority.
Back in 2017, President Joko Widodo made a very public appeal to eradicate bribery in the police force. However, since then, numerous stories about cops getting caught receiving bribes have been reported, with officers receiving everything from money to durian.
Reader Interactions