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Police spend Rp 1 trillion on used plane to secure 2024 elections
The National Police's oversight commission has defended the force's purchase of a used commercial plane for transporting personnel and equipment to fulfill their duties in the long term, not just in securing next year's elections.
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East Java Police personnel attend an event in provincial capital Surabaya on July 5, 2022 to mark the 76th National Police anniversary. (Antara/Didik Suhartono)
T
he National Police have defended their decision to spend close to Rp 1 trillion (US$66 million) to buy a secondhand Boeing 737-800 NG for transporting personnel and light equipment to secure next year's general and regional elections across the nation.
National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ahmad Ramadhan said that, whereas ensuring election security was the primary reason for purchasing the used narrow-body aircraft, the plane would also help police deploy during emergencies like natural disasters as well as for other purposes, such as counterterrorism and public security operations.
“The National Police are in urgent need of an aircraft to transport personnel for carrying out policing duties,” Ahmad told reporters on Friday, as quoted from the official police news portal, tribratanews (TBnews).
He said it was ineffective for the nation’s police force to continue relying on commercial flights to transport personnel and dangerous cargo, such as weapons and ammunition.
"If we use civilian aircraft, we must follow the existing regulations. But with the police’s own aircraft, [our personnel and cargo] can reach their destination faster, and it will also be cheaper in practice," Ahmad added, as quoted by Kompas.id.
He said the police had inked a Rp 995 million contract with an Irish company that owned the used Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which was made in 2019 but had less than 13,000 flight hours.
Of that sum, Rp 665 trillion covered the purchase price, while the remaining Rp 330 trillion covered modifications to the plane’s cabin and cargo hold, one year in maintenance and airport fees, and training for pilots, flight attendants and technicians.
