Work as usual for Zulfan, despite investigation

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the hot seat over his alleged criminal activity, including extortion, Ciputat Police chief Adj. Comr. Zulfan is still working in his office as usual, an officer from the National Police headquarters revealed.

"So far, we have questioned five people over the reports, including Zulfan himself. Two of the witnesses are not from the force," Brig. Gen. Soenarko D.A., the headquarters' deputy spokesman, said on Friday. "But the probe is not yet completed."

However, Zulfan's subordinate who made the report against him was moved to the South Jakarta Police station.

First Insp. Ahmad Kusdinar had earlier reported that Zulfan had pointed a gun at his head during an argument.

But Soenarko said the reshuffle was an attempt to "cool down the internal situation at the Ciputat Police station".

A source from the South Jakarta Police said the argument between Zulfan and Ahmad had taken place in January when the latter was about to move a truck -- which had been involved in a fatal accident -- to the South Jakarta Police station as ordered by the station's chief.

Trying to stop Kusdinar from moving the truck, Zulfan also took out his gun. Sources have said that Zulfan took money from the truck owner, who wanted the case to be closed.

However, earlier on Monday, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Basyir Ahmad Barmawi said that what had happened between Zulfan and Ahmad was "merely a miscommunication."

Zulfan is also facing at least five charges of extortion, four occurred in October and one in January. The amount of money allegedly received by Zulfan was a total of Rp 258.5 million (US$31,144).

Besides revealing the latest findings of the investigation of Zulfan, Soenarko defended the force's decision to promote former West Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Bambang Wasgito as Bogor Police chief, despite his bad track record.

"I want to clarify media reports questioning Bambang's new post...The internal affairs division of the National Police found no strong evidence to secure the allegations on Bambang."

Last June, Bambang faced an inquiry over extortion allegations. He was also reported to the police for receiving millions of rupiah from the owners of gambling dens in West Jakarta.

One of those who filed a report was House of Representatives member Haryanto Taslam, who submitted copies of several receipts, including a receipt for Rp 2 million in cash from the owner of a gambling den to pay Bambang's karaoke bills.

Soenarko declined to answer whether by declaring Bambang clean the police were suggesting the copies of the receipts were fake.