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Ban on police officers’ lavish lifestyle lacks detail
In an apparent attempt to build a clean image, the National Police have issued a regulation banning officers from exhibiting a luxurious lifestyle
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span>In an apparent attempt to build a clean image, the National Police have issued a regulation banning officers from exhibiting a luxurious lifestyle. But there is a big hole in the ban as it does not explain what “luxurious” is.
The National Police’s Internal Affairs Division chief Insp. Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo signed a circular on Nov. 15 ordering the officers not to “show, use or display luxury items in daily life, both in the office and in public” as it could lead to “jealousy and envy toward the police institution”.
Major corruption cases implicating suspiciously wealthy police officials — like former National Police traffic corps chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo and low-ranking Papua police officer Adj. First Insp. Labora Sitorus — have shaped a negative public opinion of the force.
The police’s lavish lifestyle once again took the spotlight in 2016 when a terrorist attack rocked Sarinah, Central Jakarta, killing seven people and injuring 19 others.
Some police officers who exchanged fire with the terrorists wore luxury items, including Coach bags and limited edition Adidas and Gucci sneakers. Pictures of the police officers looking lavish on duty went viral on social media.
Former Jakarta Police general crimes chief Krishna Murti often wore branded accessories, such as Hermes belts and shoes. He saw it as an achievement, saying that the Jakarta Police’s “cool” style on duty was on par with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
The letter stated: “There will be strict punishment of personnel violating the regulation.” However, it did not specify the punishment or define luxurious items.
On Tuesday, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Muhammad Iqbal said the punishment could range from confinement to demotion being stripped of titles. He specifically asked officers to be careful about what they shared on social media.
“If they show a bike, but it is a Harley Davidson, or a [flashy] car, even though they actually only rent them — the public will have a very negative impression,” he said.
Iqbal added that the National Police would reward officers who shared “humanistic” social media content but did not elaborate what the reward would be.
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said the police had similar regulations on officers’ lifestyle, such as regulations on purchasing luxury goods and codes of business ethics. However, the police had never made public any evaluation of the implementation of those rules.
The previous regulation, National Police Chief Regulation No. 10/2017, only bars officers from owning two types of luxury goods: private vehicles worth more than Rp 450 million (US$32,000) and plots of land or buildings valued at more than Rp 1 billion.
The regulation also stipulates that the Propam has the right to oversee the ownership of luxury goods and that officers who violate the provisions could face punishment.
“There is one thing that is often overlooked by the institution. Not all of them submit their LHKPN [wealth report] properly even though they have a National Police chief regulation on this matter,” Kurnia told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
National Police Commission (Kompolnas) commissioner Poengky Indarti said that what the National Police truly needed was cultural reform, which would change their character and behavior, including making the officers behave in more “humanistic” ways.
“Such a rule must be implemented from the top to the lowest level. If there is a violation, the Police’s internal affairs division [Propam] must investigate it,” she said.
Transparency International Indonesia (TII) secretary-general Dadang Trisasongko said such regulations would not be enough to prevent police officers from living the high life, nor would they be sufficient to mend public trust in the police.
“If they want to gain more trust, they must resolve corruption and bribe cases implicating police officials. The public will appreciate it more. It is a challenge if they want to gain trust,” Dadang said.
He said a system was also needed for the government to increase the police’s wages and to limit opportunities for them to seek other sources of income.
“The National Police must have a more strict and massive LHKPN reporting system than other state institutions. Their compliance must be 100 percent,” he said.
Concurring with Dadang, Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) chairman Neta S. Pane said police officers in several regions have wages below the provincial minimum wage (UMP).
The new regulation, he said, would not be enough to root out corrupt behaviors within the institution.
“Unless the state applies a law that could make them prove the source of their wealth themselves, this new regulation will not be effective,” he said.
The National Police’s transparency and credibility are under public scrutiny, especially following the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)’s investigation into major graft and money laundering cases implicating former National Police traffic corps chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo in 2013.
The two-star general, who received a monthly salary of Rp 28 million, was found to have a total wealth of Rp 100 billion.
Djoko’s wealth was nothing compared to the Rp 1.5 trillion in a bank account belonging to low-ranking Papua Police officer Adj. First Insp. Labora Sitorus, who had a monthly salary of Rp 3 million.
In 2016, Labora was charged with illegal logging and fuel smuggling in Papua.
Farah Puteri Nahlia — 23-year-old daughter of Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) crime division director Brig. Gen. Mohammad Fadil Imran — is quite wealthy compared to most Indonesians.
Farah, who just started her tenure as a lawmaker at the National Mandate Party (PAN), said she had total assets of more than Rp 17 billion, comprising of a plot of land and a building in South Jakarta, a Mini Cooper and Rp 857 million in cash.
