Jakarta. Two former South Jakarta Police officers, Adjunct Chief Commissioner Bintoro and Adjunct Chief Commissioner Gogo Galesung, have been penalized for accepting bribes in a murder case, with Bintoro fired from his position and Galesung demoted for eight years.

Both officers, along with two former detectives—Ahmad Zakaria and Novian Dimas—were found guilty of accepting bribes from individuals involved in a murder case of a minor. Zakaria was also fired and Dimas was given a demotion and reassigned.

According to Choirul Anam, a member of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), the Police Ethics Committee deemed the officers’ actions disgraceful, accusing them of damaging the institution’s reputation and misusing their authority. The tribunal lasted from Friday morning until late evening.

The allegations against Bintoro and his team centered on their mishandling of high-profile cases, including a murder and sexual assault involving a minor. The investigations into these cases reportedly stalled under their supervision, prompting the committee to impose severe sanctions.

Evidence presented at the trial revealed that Bintoro had accepted over Rp 100 million ($6,000) in bribes, allegedly from the suspects’ former legal representatives, in exchange for halting the investigation into the suspects. 

The initial case involved FA, 16,  who died in a South Jakarta hotel in April 2024. Investigators alleged that the suspects, siblings Arif "Bastian" Nugroho and Muhammad Bayu Hartanto, both in their 40s, had paid the victim for sex and forced her and another 17-year-old girl to ingest drugs, leading to FA's death. The suspects’ family members reportedly offered bribes to halt the investigation.

It was later revealed that Bintoro was also accused of embezzling luxury vehicles from the suspects, including a Lamborghini Aventador, a Harley Davidson, and a BMW motorcycle. In April 2024, he allegedly coerced the suspects into selling their cars to resolve the legal case they faced. The suspects’ families later filed a civil suit against Bintoro, demanding the return of the stolen vehicles as the case continued.

As of Friday night, the Police Ethics Committee was still investigating additional suspects, including Mariana, a former head of the South Jakarta Police’s Child Protection Unit.

The National Police Commission has since recommended criminal charges against Bintoro, accusing him of abuse of power. Despite publicly denying any wrongdoing in a video statement, the investigation against him continues, with prosecutors preparing formal indictments.

The police have assured the public that the case will be pursued thoroughly and that all suspects will be brought to justice.