Pastika to head Bali Police

JAKARTA: Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika who led the successful investigation into last year's Bali bombing has been appointed as Bali Police chief, replacing Brig. Gen. Budi Setiawan.

Pastika's appointment will take effect on Monday, said the National Police Headquarters in a statement on Saturday.

Brig. Gen. Suyitno Lamdung, who leads the police's economic crimes unit, will take over Pastika's previous post as deputy chief of detectives at the police headquarters.

Pastika, who is Balinese, headed an investigation that led to the arrest of 29 suspects behind last year's Bali bombing, which killed at least 202 people, mainly foreigners.

The success has won Indonesia international praise for its efforts in cracking down on suspected terrorists here.

Pastika was named Asia's newsmaker of the year by the U.S. Time magazine in December 2002.

Pastika is the former police chief of Papua, where he uncovered the Indonesian Military's involvement in the killing of Papuan independence leader "Theys" Hiyo Eluay in 2001. -- JP