Following the verdict from the Jakarta Corruption Court to sentence former National Traffic Police Corps (Korlantas) chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo to 10 years in prison, the leadership of the corps has told its members to clean up their act. National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Oegroseno on Wednesday called on police personnel to lead a humble life. “If a police second inspector rides a Land Cruiser [Toyota’s 4-wheel drive vehicle], this will raise a question: how can he afford such a ride?” Oegroseno said to more than 500 provincial and district-level police chiefs in the force’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Depok, on the outskirts of Jakarta. “You could tell them that your uncle has a car dealership, but that does not make sense, [I will suggest you to] drive an Avanza. Let’s lead a humble life,” he said, referring to, a cheap and popular Toyota minivan among Jakarta’s middle class. Oegroseno also told the police chiefs to travel by foot or ride a bike. “If your home is close to your office, just ride a bicycle, it is healthy. Don’t drive, especially with an entourage,” he said. Oegroseno also said that by driving a modest car, police personnel could easily build a good rapport with people. “They will hesitate to come and speak to you, if you ride a flashy vehicle,” he said. The National Police have been considered as one of the most corrupt institutions in the country, with senior police generals, who earn less than Rp 12 million a month, reportedly living in plush homes in the suburbs of Jakarta. Djoko Susilo becomes the first active police general to be prosecuted for his illicit wealth. The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced him to ten years’ imprisonment for misappropriating funds from the Rp 200 billion driving simulator procurement project when he was leading Korlantas. Prior to the verdict, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confiscated dozens of Djoko’s plots of land, luxurious houses and cars, which he bought under the names of his relatives, friends and wives. Oegroseno declined to comment on the verdict, but he hoped that “such cases” would not happen again in the future. Corruption has also been rampant among the police rank-and-file. In May, the Papua Police arrested chief Brig. Labora Sitorus, an officer at Papua’s Raja Ampat Police, following a Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) report stating that Labora holds 60 bank accounts that accumulatively recorded more than Rp 1 trillion in financial transactions between 2007 and 2012. Labora allegedly amassed his fortune from illegal logging, fuel smuggling and money laundering activities. If proven guilty, Labora could be sent to prison for more than 10 years. Labora fired back at the force by claiming that some high-ranking police regularly received “donations” from him. On Wednesday, the PPATK said it had found evidence that police personnel in Papua richer than their colleagues in other provinces
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 07:12:54 +0000