Police chief suspends Col. Adang Rismanto

JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo has suspended the once famous Jakarta police officer Col. Adang Rismanto for unexplained reasons.

Adang's latest posting was head of the Chemical and Biological Forensic Department of the National Police.

Not only was Adang, 47, stripped of his position on Thursday but he now has neither a desk nor an office, although he does retain his status as a policeman and will still be paid, police sources said.

Dibyo has assigned the head of the Forensic Department, Brig. Gen. Untung Haryono, to place Adang at the National Police headquarters without a job until his retirement comes.

Under the law, the normal retirement age is 55.

Also suspended without reasons yesterday were eight middle- ranking officers. But they turn 55 this year.

There has been no official explanation for the suspension of the police officer holding a Master of Business Administration degree.

Officers at the National Police Forensic Laboratory said recently that Adang has rarely shown up since he was placed in the forensic department.

His absence triggered speculation that he had in fact resigned from the police force.

When The Jakarta Post asked about Adang's frequent absence, Dibyo replied, "There are still many people who want to become police officers."

Adang sprang to prominence when he handled the investigation into the death of a young businessman at the residence of starlet Ria Irawan in South Jakarta in 1994. The crime has still not been solved.

Dibyo also announced the replacement of several police officers in Jakarta, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Nusa Tenggara and Central Java.

Central Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Abubakar Nata Prawira will be promoted colonel and will become the Palembang Police Chief in South Sumatra. He will be replaced by Lt. Col. Muhamad Ibrahim.

Lt. Col. Rismawan from the Jakarta Police Intelligence and Security division will be appointed to replace Ibrahim at the North Jakarta police precinct.

East Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Gories Mere will be promoted secretary of the Jakarta Police Crime Investigation Directorate, replacing Lt. Col. Edi Darnadi, who has been assigned as deputy chief of the Medan City Police in North Sumatra.

Mere's post will be handed over to Lt. Col. Nanan Sukarna, currently coordinator of secretaries for the Jakarta Police chief.

Depok Police Chief Lt. Col. Herman SS, will be replaced by Lt. Col. Yudhi Susharyanto, head of the Jakarta Police vehicle registration unit. Herman will be named secretary to the Jakarta Police Traffic Directorate.

Tangerang Police Chief Lt. Col. Djoko Satryo will be promoted as deputy commander of the cadet detachment at the Police Academy in Semarang. He will be replaced by Jakarta Police Spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna. (bsr)