City has new police chief, Nurfaizi heads training HQ

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police announced on Tuesday a reshuffle of 31 high-ranking and middle-ranking officers, including Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Nurfaizi, who will be assigned to head the National Police Training Center.

Nurfaizi will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman, currently the logistics deputy assistant at National Police Headquarters.

Nurfaizi head the National Police Training Center, replacing Insp. Ali Hanafiah, who will take over as Police Staff College (PTIK) governor.

Another major move is the appointment of Insp. Gen. Pandji Atmasudirdja as National Police deputy chief. The post has been vacant since Sept. 23, following the promotion of Gen. Surojo Bimantoro to National Police chief. Pandji is currently the assistant to the National Police chief for planning.

Pandji's position will be filled by outgoing PTIK governor Insp. Gen. James Daniel Sitorus.

Another change is the appointment of South Sumatra Police chief Brig. Gen. Togar Manatar Sianipar as the new East Kalimantan Police chief, replacing Brig. Gen. Bachrumsyah Kasman. Bachrumsyah will be assigned chairman of the National Police Information and Data Management Division.

The reshuffle will also include the appointment of Irian Jaya Police chief Brig. Gen. Silvanus Yulian Wenas as the new National Police director for police patrol operation, and the appointment of East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar as the new governor of the National Police Academy.

Meanwhile, director for corruption investigations at the National Police detectives department Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen will be transferred to an equal position of director for drug abuse investigations in the same department, while Bandung City Police chief Sr. Supt. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo will be assigned as the new director for general crimes, also in the same department.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf denied that the reshuffle was hasty.

"The reshuffle of police officers has been under discussion for a long time," Saleh told reporters at the National Police Headquarters on Tuesday.

"(The reshuffle) is for the sake of (the officers') careers," he said, adding that the new posts would become effective from Tuesday but the swearing-in ceremonies would be held within two weeks.

Saleh also denied that Nurfaizi was being replaced due to the arrest of President Abdurrahman Wahid's former masseur Suwondo, who is a suspect in the multibillion rupiah State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal.

Abdurrahman has been linked to the case after Bulog former deputy chief Sapuan testified that Suwondo, who was arrested on Saturday, had acted on behalf of the President. Sapuan was the official who ordered the disbursement of Rp 35 billion fund from the agency's employee-owned foundation Yanatera to Suwondo in January. (jaw)