Megawati shows support for police chief Bimantoro<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri showed her
\napproval of Gen. Surojo Bimantoro as the rightful National Police
\nchief, when she handed him the command baton during his courtesy
\ncall on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Having been openly defiant against deposed president
\nAbdurrahman Wahid over their differences of opinion, Bimantoro
\nvisited Megawati at the vice presidential palace in Central
\nJakarta on Tuesday, with the baton in hand.<\/p>\n
Then president Abdurrahman ordered Bimantoro to return the
\nbaton, the symbol of leadership of a force that comprises nearly
\n200,000 personnel. Abdurrahman also ordered stern measures
\nagainst Bimantoro for his disloyalty.<\/p>\n
During the meeting with Megawati, Bimantoro handed over the
\ncommand baton, but the newly inducted President handed it back.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Bimantoro was accompanied by city police
\nchief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob, National Police spokesman Insp.
\nGen. Didi Widayadi and National Police inspector-general Comr.
\nAhwil Luthan.<\/p>\n
A staunch supporter of Megawati, Bimantoro had earlier been
\nvocal against a presidential decree ordering a state of
\nemergency.<\/p>\n
He was appointed by Abdurrahman without prior approval of the
\nHouse of Representatives in September last year and after nine
\nmonths was dismissed without the approval of legislators.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman then selected Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail, as caretaker
\nNational Police Chief.<\/p>\n
An hour before Megawati was sworn in as President in the
\nSpecial Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on
\nMonday, Didi Widayadi announced that Bimantoro had resumed his
\nduties as the National Police chief.<\/p>\n
Didi told The Jakarta Post that one of Bimantoro's first
\nduties on Monday morning, was to issue an order for the police
\ninvestigation into eight mid-ranking police officers, who had led
\nsome 150 middle-ranking police officers to stage a revolt against
\nBimantoro on July 9.<\/p>\n
Didi said on Tuesday that the National Police Internal Affairs
\nwas still in the process of interrogating seven of them, on
\ncharges of insubordination.<\/p>\n
They were identified as Sr. Comr. Bambang Widodo, Sr. Comr.
\nParlindungan Sinaga, Sr. Comr. Alfons Leomau, Sr. Comr. Nurdin
\nUmar, Sr. Comr. Badaruzzaman Haidir, Sr. Comr. Herman Kotto, Sr.
\nComr. Banjar Nahor and Sr. Comr. Salihin.<\/p>\n
The eight officers also held a meeting on Sunday evening at a
\ncafe in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where they declared the MPR
\nSpecial Session illegal. They insisted that police should not
\nonly disband the session, but arrest city police Insp. Gen.
\nSofjan Yacob, for providing security at the session.<\/p>\n
Unlike other officers who responded to the summons for
\nquestioning over the alleged insubordination, Sr. Comr. Alfons
\nLeomau failed to turn up and was declared a fugitive.<\/p>\n
Rumors have also circulated that Chaeruddin could also be
\namong those slapped with insubordination charges, but no police
\nofficers were able to confirm this. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-shows-support-for-police-chief-bimantoro-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}