JAKARTA: National Police chief Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto has again reshuffled hundreds of senior and mid-ranking officers barely two weeks into his leadership, a sweeping overhaul observers say could be an attempt to consolidate his authority within the institution.
The latest job rotations, formalised in telegrams dated Oct 10 and 12, affected more than 200 officers and included several strategic posts.
Among them was the second-in-command position at the police’s Security Intelligence Department (Baintelkam), with Insp. Gen. Wawan Muliawan replaced by Brig. Gen. Anom Setyadji, formerly a senior officer at the department.
Meanwhile, senior traffic corps analyst Brig. Gen. Aries Syahbudin was promoted to replace traffic corps chief Insp. Gen. Wibowo, who only held the position for three months after being appointed in July by then-police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo.
Both Wawan and Wibowo were reassigned as senior officers at the National Police Education and Training Institute.
The reshuffle also affected the Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), where Suyudi replaced directors overseeing cybercrime, narcotics, general crimes and financial crimes.
Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Johnny Eddizon Isir said the rotations were based on merit and competence, and were routine organisational adjustments intended to strengthen institutional performance.
“Meritocracy is an important principle to ensure every officer entrusted with a position can perform professionally and responsibly,” Johnny said in a statement on Sunday.
The latest shake-up marks the third reshuffle Suyudi has conducted since his appointment, following the sweeping rotation of 88 officers on Oct 2.
That first round affected 14 senior positions at police headquarters and 19 provincial police chiefs, including commanders in Jakarta and several resource-rich provinces.
Police observers have scrutinised the scale and pace of the changes, describing the shake-ups as “unprecedented” in the institution’s history.
Criminologist and police observer Adrianus Meliala of the University of Indonesia said the move was an “attempt by the new chief to consolidate authority” and get rid of his predecessor, Listyo, who was the second-longest-serving chief in the police force's history.
Listyo led the police from 2021, when former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo appointed him chief, until his replacement this month.
“There was a perception that those rising through the ranks under Listyo’s lengthy tenure were no longer the best candidates, but rather people loyal to the former police chief,” Adrianus said on Monday, noting that Suyudi’s rotations were therefore “not surprising”.
Previously, police observer Bambang Rukminto of the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) said several affected posts were “very vital” in the police organisation and warned that the change may cause internal discomfort.
He also pointed out that some of the appointees appear to be Suyudi’s close contemporaries, such as Insp. Gen. Totok Suharyanto, who graduated from the 1994 police academy class just like Suyudi.
Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. - Jakarta Post/ANN
