I

ndonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Moeldoko has appointed Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Andika Perkasa, son-in-law of former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Hendropriyono, as commander of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres).

In an official letter dated Oct. 14, Moeldoko assigned Andika to lead Paspampres, filling the post left by Maj. Gen. Doni Monardo, who has been made commander of the Army'€™s Special Forces (Kopassus).

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Fuad Basya said that Andika had been selected by Moeldoko and president-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo.

'€œThe TNI commander and the Rank and Promotion Council for High-Ranking Officers [Wanjakti] presented between two and three candidates to the president-elect, who made the final decision. We consulted with the president-elect because he is the one who will be protected by Paspampres,'€ Fuad said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

According to Fuad, Andika will assume his post at Paspampres on Oct. 21, a day after Jokowi'€™s inauguration.

'€œOn the day of the presidential inauguration, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is still president. Thus, responsibility for his safety will still lie with the current Paspampres chief,'€ he added.

A 1987 graduate of the Military Academy, Andika served as North Sumatra'€™s Sibolga military commander in 2012 prior to assuming his current post at Army headquarters.

Andika is married to Diah Erwiani, the eldest daughter of Gen. (ret.) Hendropriyono, a confidant of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and an advisor to Jokowi'€™s transition team.

After a brief stint with BIN in early 2000, Andika went on to earn several degrees from top US universities, including one from Harvard.

Andika'€™s name has surfaced in connection with the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib in 2004. The murder was allegedly masterminded by BIN while under Hendropriyono was in charge.

Munir'€™s colleague, Choirul Anam, testified in 2005 that Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a former pilot
for national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia who was found guilty of poisoning Munir with arsenic, might have known Andika when they both lived in Papua.

Anam said that he learned about the apparent relationship between Andika and Pollycarpus from then BIN technology deputy, Bidja Subiyakto.

Fuad rebuffed the allegations, underlining that Andika had a clean track record.

'€œThe cases have been settled in court and Andika has never been tried or convicted in any of those cases,'€ Fuad said.

Andika did not respond to attempts by The Jakarta Post to reach him by phone.