Depok Police chief replaced amid escalating tension
Depok Police chief replaced amid escalating tension
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In an abrupt move amid escalating tension over a court ruling
overturning the results of the Depok mayoral election, the
Jakarta Police on Thursday replaced Depok Police chief Adj. Sr.
Comr. Ratnawati Hadiwidjaja, the only female police district
chief.
Ratnawati, who had held the post for less than four months,
handed over the reins to former Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Firman Shantya Budi during a
ceremony held on Thursday afternoon.
She will take up a new post as operations monitoring chief at
Jakarta Police Headquarters.
"We can see that the security threats in Depok are increasing,
and we need an officer who can handle them. Besides, we also need
internal reorganization," Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman
Gani said.
Ratnawati moved from her post as East Jakarta Police deputy
chief to become Depok Police chief on April 27, replacing Adj.
Sr. Comr. Raja Erisman, who was appointed Tangerang Police chief.
Several policewomen have risen to ranks as high or higher than
Ratnawati's, but she is the first woman ever to head a district.
The tense situation in Depok revolves around the West Java
High Court's ruling in favor of former mayor Badrul Kamal, who
had previously been declared the runner-up to Nur Mahmudi Ismail
in the poll by the local elections commission.
Supporters of the two candidates are now appealing to
different government institutions to make a final ruling on the
issue.
Rumors, however, are circulating that Ratnawati has been
replaced because she had uncovered a bribery scandal related to
the Depok poll involving a high-ranking officer at Jakarta Police
Headquarters.
Besides Ratnawati and Firman Shantya, six other mid-ranking
officers have also been transferred.
Adj. Sr. Comr. Tejo Subagio has replaced Firman Shantya as
airport police chief while former Tangerang deputy chief Adj.
Comr. Aan Suhanan has taken over from Tejo as operations
development chief at headquarters.
Meanwhile, Adj. Sr. Comr. Frederik Kalalembang has filled the
post left vacant by Aan.