Dual leadership confuses Jakarta Police chief

JAKARTA (JP): Dualism in the National Police leadership has caused Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob to be confused, as he is at a loss as to who the real boss is.

"This is the first time that a national police chief has been made non-active (suspended). This matter actually needs to be reviewed. We are really confused," Sofjan told reporters on Friday.

National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro was suspended last week by President Abdurrahman Wahid, who later appointed Comr. Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail to hold the post of National Police deputy chief.

"Suppose something has to be done, and Pak Bimantoro decides to go to the right, while Pak Chaeruddin decides to move to the left, what will become of the Jakarta Police?

"If there are splinters within us and there is no 'one single command', it will prove to be very bad for the people."

Separately, Chaeruddin told reporters that there need not be a specified division of labor, between himself and Bimantoro.

"There need not be specifications on the division of labor. We both know what our jobs are and what we have to do. It is not something that I have to describe (to reporters)," Chaeruddin said.

When asked whether Bimantoro could no more be considered a police chief, Chaeruddin replied, "Your question is really difficult (to answer) ... more difficult than examination questions. Ask something else!"

He however said that the police command "was still in the hands of Pak Bimantoro."

Meanwhile, Bimantoro told reporters that he spent his days receiving guests and speaking with his staff members, and denied knowing anything about the steps taken by Abdurrahman that led to his suspension.

"I do not know anything about this suspension ... it is a process. One day you are up, the next day you are down," he told reporters on Friday afternoon.

"There is an important matter that has yet to be settled. It will be settled when I am no more the National Police chief."

In a related development, the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu warned of political intervention by civilians into the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police institutions.

"I don't mind the political elite being involved in political disputes, but don't try to bring the military or the police into its disputes.

"We want to be able to carry out our duty professionally, so the civilian politicians should keep us away from their conflicts and not try to exploit us for their own political interests," Ryamizard said at a joint military-police physical exercise held at the Kostrad airborne unit in Cijantung, East Jakarta.

He implied that the event was held to demonstrate to the people that the TNI and National Police were still solid.

Present at the event were also the Air Force Western Fleet Commander Rear Marshall Joko Sutrisno, the Navy's Western Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Harry Triyono, the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) chief Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini, the Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo, and presidential security guard chief Brig. Gen. Amir Thoha, and Sofjan Yacob. (ylt/02)