The National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji handed over his post to Insp. Gen. Ito Sumardi after public pressure following Susno's alleged role in fabricating cases against two deputy leaders of the KPK.
National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri appreciated what Susno had done during his police career in a handing over ceremony Monday.
"I appreciate Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji and other police generals and officers for what they have done for the police force," he said as quoted by detik.com.
Bambang admitted the National Police was facing a serious test.
"We have to face the situation with increasing solidarity while at the same time continue to carry out our duty to protect and serve the people in a transparent, clean and accountable way," he said.
The National Police's image was tarnished following Susno's implication in an attempt to incriminate Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah.
The announcement of Susno's replacement was made just one day after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered "reforms" within the police, the Attorney General's Office, and the KPK.
Bambang earlier denied that Susno's replacement was a result of his involvement in the plot to frame Bibit and Chandra.
It is believed, however, that the replacement is not a "common tour of duty", as Bambang said but is related to Yudhoyono's order.
Both Susno and Ito were 1977 graduates of the Indonesian Police Academy, then a branch of the Indonesian Armed Forces (AKABRI) Academy.
Ito was formerly coordinator of expert staff to the National Police chief. The promotion would earn him a three-star rank. Susno assumes a non-job post at the headquarters.
Ito, who has served as provincial police chief in Riau and South Sumatra, pledged to carry out personnel and systems evaluations within the National Police's detective division as well as scrutinize cases that have drawn the public's attention.
He also pledged to combat case brokers within the police force.
"Starting today we will take disciplinary actions against case brokers by involving *internal affairs*," Ito said as quoted by Antara news agency.
Ito also admitted that he had many things to learn before issuing policies as the new National Police chief detective.
Yudhoyono faced mounting pressure to sack Susno and even Bambang after the Constitutional Court publicly played wire-tapped conversations between businessman Anggodo Widjojo and several high-ranking officers from the National Police and the AGO.
The conversations revealed an alleged plot to frame Bibit and Chandra and implicated Susno's involvement in the conspiracy.
Yudhoyono established a presidential fact-finding team to investigate the alleged framing.
As an outcome of its investigation, the team recommended the President order a halt in the police and AGO's investigations into Bibit and Chandra, punish those involved, and conduct thorough reforms of legal institutions, especially the police and the AGO, which have faced growing public distrust over the scandal.
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