Indonesia investigates military personnel on allegation of receiving funds from drug business

Xinhua News Agency

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Indonesian investigators were probing armed forces personnel allegedly receiving funds from drug business, Indonesian Military Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo disclosed here on Monday.

The investigation was made after President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation following a publication of a testimony from an Indonesian drug lord, Freddy Budiman, that the personnel from armed forces, police and national anti-narcotic agency had received funds from the illegal business.

General Nurmantyo said that the military will cooperate with the investigators on this case.

The general hinted the high-raking personnel allegedly receiving the illegal cashes has been possibly retired.

"If he has been retired, the case is classified as crime and I will cooperate with police (investigators)," he said at security chief ministry.

The publication of the testimony was made after the drug lord was executed on July 29 along with 2 drug convicts from Nigeria and another from Senegal.

Police has said that the investors would also question the followers of the drug lord to verify the veracity of his testimony.

In 2015, 14 drug convicts, most of them foreigners, faced firing squad in Indonesia.

The anti-narcotic agency has also cooperated with the country's central bank to supervise and trace transactions suspected of being involved in drug business.

President Widodo has declared a war against drug abuse as its impact has been on an alarming level.

(APD)