Acting Bima Police Chief Who Replaced Dismissed Officer Has Own Methamphetamine History, Police Defend Appointment

Jakarta — The appointment of Adjunct Senior Commissioner (AKBP) Catur Setiawan as acting chief of the Bima Kota Police has attracted intense scrutiny.

Amid the storm surrounding a narcotics case that ensnared his predecessor, the public has turned its attention to Catur’s own track record, having been implicated in a similar case in 2017. His appointment in such a sensitive situation at the Bima Kota Police has raised significant 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 West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Police.

“Taking into account various considerations and mechanisms that have certainly been followed, this is in the nature of 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, quoted on Friday, 20 February 2026.

According to him, Catur’s position is not a permanent appointment. He was merely designated as a temporary occupant of the Bima Kota police chief’s seat following the removal of AKBP Didik Putra Kuncoro over a narcotics case.

“Following the alleged violation and subsequent action taken by the NTB Regional Police, the Professional and Security Division, and the Criminal Investigation Agency, further developments will naturally be communicated by the NTB Regional Police,” he said.

Catur’s name has been linked once again to an incident on 4 May 2017. At that time, he still held the rank of Adjunct Commissioner (AKP) and served as Head of the Narcotics Investigation Unit at Ternate Police. A urine test confirmed he had tested positive for methamphetamine use.

Over the incident, Catur was subjected to disciplinary sanctions by the then North Maluku Regional Police Chief, Brigadier General Dwi Apriyanto. He was removed from his post and subsequently transferred before returning to active duty.

Previously, the Police Code of Ethics Commission (KKEP) tribunal officially imposed the sanction of Dishonourable Discharge (PTDH) — effectively dismissal from the police force — on the former Bima Kota Police Chief, AKBP Didik Putra Kuncoro.

The verdict was handed down during an ethics hearing held at National Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The tribunal was chaired by the Deputy Inspector General of the National Police, Inspector General Merdisyam, having considered the examination of 18 witnesses.