Acting Bima City Police Chief Replaced Again After Criticism Over Previous Drug Case

Jakarta, VIVA – Fresh upheaval has struck the Bima City Police (Polres Bima Kota), with the position of acting police chief (Plh Kapolres) changing hands once again. The role previously held by AKBP Catur Erwin Setiawan has now officially been transferred to another mid-ranking officer.

AKBP Hariyanto has been appointed to fill the position. He currently serves as Deputy Commander (Wadansat) of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) under the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Police.

The appointment of AKBP Hariyanto was publicly announced through the official Instagram account @polres_bimakota. The post featured his photograph along with congratulatory remarks on his new mandate.

“May he be blessed with grace, smooth progress, and success in carrying out his mandate and duties of service to the community, nation, and state within the jurisdiction of Bima City Police,” the account stated on Sunday, 22 February 2026.

The reshuffle has attracted considerable attention because the public had previously criticised the appointment of AKBP Catur Erwin Setiawan. Catur’s past record resurfaced, specifically from when he served as Head of the Narcotics Unit at Ternate Police with the rank of AKP and tested positive for methamphetamine use through a urine test on 4 May 2017.

The situation was made all the more sensitive because the previous Bima City police chief had also been embroiled in legal troubles. AKBP Didik Putra Kuncoro had been named a suspect in a narcotics abuse case and was subsequently dismissed from the Indonesian National Police.

Amid the narcotics scandal that had engulfed his predecessor, the public scrutinised Catur’s track record, having been involved in a similar case in 2017. Against this backdrop, his appointment in such a sensitive situation at Bima City Police raised serious public questions.

In response to the controversy, National Police Headquarters finally broke its silence. The force argued that Catur’s appointment was a decision taken based on internal considerations and established mechanisms within the NTB Regional Police.

“Taking into account various considerations and mechanisms that have certainly been followed, this is essentially a replacement — an acting appointment,” said the Head of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police’s Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, as quoted on Friday, 20 February 2026.