The decision was made after a meeting to discuss the comment that had angered National Police chief Gen. Sutarman. The Kompolnas commissioner in question, Adrianus Meliala, said during a recent talk show on MetroTV that the Criminal Investigations Agency (Bareskrim) was an automated teller machine (ATM) for the police's top brass.

"There has been no ethics violation," Kompolnas ethics board member Syafii Maarif said as quoted by tribunnews.com after the meeting.

He added that Sutarman had no reason to be angry and should not have been provoked by the matter.

Sutarman had filed a lawsuit against Adrianus with Bareskrim, although he later withdrew it after Adrianus apologized.

Meanwhile, Kompolnas secretary Syafriadi Cut Ali said the meeting, which was also attended by several community leaders, had decided that it would not hold a special hearing for Adrianus as he had done nothing wrong.

He also said that he believed the conflict between Adrianus and the police would not cause a fissure between the two institutions.

Syafriadi added that Kompolnas members did not need to be alarmed by Sutarman's lawsuit, even if it had resulted in criminal proceedings, but he did call for the police overseer to request greater authority by the new government.

"This would improve the police. We do not want another case such as the driving simulators case and [the recent one] in Malaysia," he said.

The driving simulators case resulted in the conviction of National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) chief Insp. Gen. Budi Susilo, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Budi's then-deputy, Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo, has also been named a suspect in the case.

Meanwhile, Adj. Sr. Comr. Idha Endri Prastiono and Chief Brig. MH Harahap were arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police on Aug. 29 for their alleged involvement in a drug ring. (alz/nvn)

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