Indonesian police are investigating the death of a 43-year-old man who was allegedly beaten by Yogyakarta traffic cops

YOGYAKARTA: Indonesian authorities are investigating the death of a 43-year-old man who was allegedly beaten by traffic police officers in Yogyakarta.

The body of the victim, identified as Darso, was exhumed on Monday (Jan 13) as part of an investigation by Central Java police after his family filed a report last Friday, Kompas news website reported.

Three people are currently under investigation, but their identities remain unclear, Kompas reported on Monday.

On September 21 last year, Darso was allegedly taken from his home in Semarang without an arrest warrant by six officers posing as Yogyakarta traffic police officers. He was taken to a nearby soccer field, where he was allegedly beaten on the head, stomach and chest, his brother Tocahyo told Kompas.

Two hours later, three officers returned to inform his wife that Darso had been admitted to the nearby Permata Medika Hospital in Semarang.

Darso suffered serious injuries and was treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) for three days before being transferred to a regular ward for another three days before being discharged home, Tribun news website reported. He died at home in Semarang on September 29, his family lawyer Antoni Yudha Timor told the media on Saturday (January 12).

Local media reported that Darso was involved in a road accident on July 12 last year. He collided with a woman on a motorbike as he was driving from Semarang to Yogyakarta, cities about a two-hour drive from each other.

“He accepted responsibility for the road accident by taking the victim to a clinic, but because he did not have enough money (to cover the medical costs), he left his ID card,” explained the Darso family’s lawyer, Antoni, as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.

The woman’s family notified the Yogyakarta traffic police unit, which then sent officers to ask Darso for an explanation, Yogyakarta police chief Aditya Surya Dharma told CNN Indonesia.

Aditya added that the woman suffered neck injuries and had to use a neck brace, while Antoni claimed that she only suffered minor injuries.

FAMILY SAYS REJECTED ‘PEACEFUL SOLUTION’

Kompas reported that on September 21, Darso was taken to hospital after complaining of chest pain while in the company of officers from the Yogyakarta Traffic Police Enforcement Unit.

Aditya noted that Darso had a history of heart disease and had a ring or stent implanted, CNN Indonesia reported.

According to the Jakarta Globe, Darso’s family wants the officers involved to be charged with aggravated assault causing death, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Explaining why the family filed a police report only four months after his death, Antoni said: “There was a delay in filing the police report as the perpetrators visited the family several times to resolve the incident through mediation.”

Officials involved in the case apparently offered his family a “peace agreement” of 25 million rupees ($1,534), which they declined, Kompas reported.

“I refused because my husband told me to take the matter to court,” his wife Poniyem told the Jakarta Globe.

Although the Yogyakarta Traffic Police Unit has not yet commented on the alleged offer of a peace agreement, Yogyakarta Metropolitan Police spokesman Sujarwo said: “Please give us some time to gather information to better understand the chronology of the incident… We are fully cooperating with the Central Java Police in the investigation into this case.”