Megawati shows support for police chief Bimantoro

Megawati shows support for police chief Bimantoro

JAKARTA (JP): President Megawati Soekarnoputri showed her
approval of Gen. Surojo Bimantoro as the rightful National Police
chief, when she handed him the command baton during his courtesy
call on Tuesday.

Having been openly defiant against deposed president
Abdurrahman Wahid over their differences of opinion, Bimantoro
visited Megawati at the vice presidential palace in Central
Jakarta on Tuesday, with the baton in hand.

Then president Abdurrahman ordered Bimantoro to return the
baton, the symbol of leadership of a force that comprises nearly
200,000 personnel. Abdurrahman also ordered stern measures
against Bimantoro for his disloyalty.

During the meeting with Megawati, Bimantoro handed over the
command baton, but the newly inducted President handed it back.

During the visit, Bimantoro was accompanied by city police
chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Yacob, National Police spokesman Insp.
Gen. Didi Widayadi and National Police inspector-general Comr.
Ahwil Luthan.

A staunch supporter of Megawati, Bimantoro had earlier been
vocal against a presidential decree ordering a state of
emergency.

He was appointed by Abdurrahman without prior approval of the
House of Representatives in September last year and after nine
months was dismissed without the approval of legislators.

Abdurrahman then selected Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail, as caretaker
National Police Chief.

An hour before Megawati was sworn in as President in the
Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on
Monday, Didi Widayadi announced that Bimantoro had resumed his
duties as the National Police chief.

Didi told The Jakarta Post that one of Bimantoro's first
duties on Monday morning, was to issue an order for the police
investigation into eight mid-ranking police officers, who had led
some 150 middle-ranking police officers to stage a revolt against
Bimantoro on July 9.

Didi said on Tuesday that the National Police Internal Affairs
was still in the process of interrogating seven of them, on
charges of insubordination.

They were identified as Sr. Comr. Bambang Widodo, Sr. Comr.
Parlindungan Sinaga, Sr. Comr. Alfons Leomau, Sr. Comr. Nurdin
Umar, Sr. Comr. Badaruzzaman Haidir, Sr. Comr. Herman Kotto, Sr.
Comr. Banjar Nahor and Sr. Comr. Salihin.

The eight officers also held a meeting on Sunday evening at a
cafe in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where they declared the MPR
Special Session illegal. They insisted that police should not
only disband the session, but arrest city police Insp. Gen.
Sofjan Yacob, for providing security at the session.

Unlike other officers who responded to the summons for
questioning over the alleged insubordination, Sr. Comr. Alfons
Leomau failed to turn up and was declared a fugitive.

Rumors have also circulated that Chaeruddin could also be
among those slapped with insubordination charges, but no police
officers were able to confirm this. (ylt)