Several NGOs have criticized the House of Representatives for backing the National Police at a hearing involving legislators and the police on Thursday evening.
Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial) on Friday said the House should not have given the police a moral boost, since voice recordings played at a Constitutional Court hearing had shown that officials of the National Police and Attorney General's Office (AGO) conspired to implicate two suspended deputy chairmen of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a criminal case.
The police released the suspended deputies, Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M. Hamzah, late on Tuesday after the court hearing, which was broadcast live on several channels.
In the recordings, several top officials - including National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, Deputy Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - were mentioned.
Police had arrested Bibit and Chandra on Sept. 29 for alleged abuse of power and bribery.
Imparsial demanded the House and the President conduct thorough assessment of police performances.
"We want a complete overhaul of the police force," said Imparsial managing director Rusdi Marpaung.
Rusdi demanded Yudhoyono remove National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri from his current post, since he had been unable to prove the police were "clean" in the case.
"We expect a new chief would bring changes to the operational behavior of the police," he said.
Rusdi also demanded the House and President revise the 2002 Police Law.
"The law gives the National Police Commission limited authority in supervising the police performance," he said.
"Strengthening the commission's authority would lead to a better supervision of police performance."
Institute for Democracy and Peace (Setara) deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said the House should have evaluated police performance at the evening hearing, instead of asking them for an explanation of the case.
"The House should have in-vestigated the police's thoroughness in eradicating corruption," Bonar said.
"The Thursday evening hearing did not show the public the House was eager to combat corruption."
The House had not asked the National Police what it would do to eradicate corruption, he added.
"It is now up to the President," Bonar said.
"The President should take action faster, because it will be two weeks before we can see results obtained by the fact-finding team."
The team, dubbed "Team 8", was established by Yudhoyono to verify the tape recordings.
Presidential Advisory Council member Adnan Buyung Nasution was nominated to lead the team, and Koesparmono Irsan as his deputy.
The other members are noted human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan, Democratic Party (PD) executive Amir Syamsuddin, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University rector Komarudin Hidayat and University of Indonesia law professor Hikmahanto Juwana, and presidential special staff for legal affairs Denny Indrayana. (nia)
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