Jakarta Police Chief to be replaced: Da'i

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Police Chief said on Tuesday that Jakarta Police Chief Comr. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb would be transferred to the post of chief inspector at the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas), and would be replaced by Jakarta Deputy Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara.

"The main reasons are organizational considerations," said Gen. Da'i Bachtiar following a ceremony marking the promotion of 22 senior police.

Da'i said the vacant post needed to be filled by Sofjan.

The police force also wanted to show its appreciation for Sofjan's various achievements, Da'i added.

Although the two-star police general was promoted one rank, from Inspector General to Commissioner General, sources at Police Headquarters said that Sofjan had been transferred to a non- strategic post.

As Chief Inspector at the Lemhanas, the police's political think-tank, Sofjan will become the organization's third-in- command, after the governor and the deputy governor.

Da'i said he expected that Makbul, as the newly chosen Jakarta Police Chief, would do what needed to be done at the city's police headquarters.

Makbul was promoted one rank to Inspector General from Brigadier General.

At the ceremony, Da'i installed 13 officers promoted to Brigadier General from Senior Commissioner; seven officers to Inspector General from Brigadier General; and two other officers to Commissioner General from Inspector General.