TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
National scene: Police want Rp 2.6t for antigraft squad
National Police chief Gen
Change Size
N
span class="inline inline-center">National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian (left) and deputy chief Comr. Gen. Syafruddin (right) attend a hearing with House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, at the legislative complex in Jakarta on Thursday. Lawmakers questioned Tito and his subordinates over several issues, including the establishment of a special team to handle corruption eradication, terrorism and drug trafficking.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian on Thursday urged the government to speed up the establishment of the police’s anti-corruption squad, which anti-corruption activists allege is aimed at rivaling the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
“We need Rp 768 billion [US$57 million] for the [wages] of 3,560 personnel. For investigation we need Rp 359 billion. And Rp 1.55 trillion for equipping the unit, such as with offices, as well as investigation and surveillance systems. The total is Rp 2.6 trillion,” Tito said.
He added they had coordinated with the Defense Ministry and conveyed the plan to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Since the unit was first proposed in July, Tito said the creation of the antigraft detachment was not meant to compete with the KPK.
“We want to pay the investigators with high salaries, just like the KPK,” Tito said, adding the new squad may use one of the buildings at the Jakarta Police compound.
Anti-corruption activists have criticized the plan as merely political, especially given studies placing the police as one of Indonesia’s most corrupt institutions.
