Some top city police officers accused of pocketing payoffs

JAKARTA (JP): National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo vowed on Friday to conduct a thorough probe into a report that several top Jakarta Police officers took a percentage of illegal fees for driver's licenses.

Rusdihardjo claimed he never received such a report and asked reporters to show him a copy, which was distributed on the same day to the media by a traffic policeman.

After receiving a copy, the three-star general said he would immediately look into the matter.

"Thank you, I'll keep this with me and study it," Rusdihardjo said.

The report states that several high-ranking officers of the Jakarta Police, including chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi and traffic police chief Col. Nyoman Sukesna, collect a portion of illegal fees exacted for obtaining or extending driver's licenses for both private and public transportation vehicles.

Officially, the rate to obtain a new driver's license for motorcycles, private cars and public buses is Rp 82,500, but the actual charge is Rp 150,000.

The source said that of the additional Rp 67,500, 10 percent was allocated to the police chief, 30 percent to the traffic police chief, 25 percent to a team from the administrative unit of the traffic police directorate, 10 percent each to the driving license unit head and head of the vehicle registration and identification, 12.5 percent for "operational costs" and the other 2.5 percent by secretary to the traffic police chief, the source said.

The disparity between the official rate and the actual payment is even greater for driver's licenses for container trucks, in which an additional Rp 137,500 is collected for each license.

Despite a declared police policy to remove brokers from the driver's license office on Jl. Daan Mogot in West Jakarta, they remain a fixture.

The brokers, including those attired in police uniform and people who professed to be reporters, said their services enabled applicants to bypass time-consuming medical and driving tests.

No Jakarta Police officers could be reached for comment on Friday. (ylt)