Police Chief Responds to Proposal for Strengthening Kompolnas through a Separate Law

Jakarta (ANTARA) - National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has responded to the proposal for strengthening the external oversight body for the Indonesian National Police (Polri), the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), through a separate Law (UU). “I believe that the Draft Revision of the Police Law (RUU) already regulates both Polri and Kompolnas. Therefore, there is no need for a new law,” Sigit said at the Bareskrim Polri Auditorium in Jakarta on Thursday. Since Kompolnas is already covered, he stated that provisions to strengthen the commission could be included in the existing draft revision. “How then to strengthen its functions and authority and include them in that revision of the Law,” he said. Previously, former Kompolnas Commissioner and police observer Poengky Indarti proposed that Kompolnas be given a strong legal foundation in the form of a dedicated Law. This relates to the Police Reform Acceleration Commission (KPRP), which recommended strengthening Kompolnas as an external oversight body for Polri. Various recommendations include removing ex officio members and expanding duties and authority, such as the opportunity to conduct investigations related to violations of the Polri code of ethics. KPRP member Retired Police General Ahmad Dofiri explained that the KPRP recommends that the nine members of Kompolnas in the future come from community representatives. “Representatives from retired Polri high-ranking officers, then from senior advocates with proven experience, but they must not be active advocates and must step down, then from academics, and from community figures. Something like that,” he said. Not only that, the KPRP also recommends that Kompolnas have executive powers so that recommendations issued must be implemented by Polri.