TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Aware of the tide of public opinion against Police Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, newly installed National Police Chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti hurriedly swore him in as his deputy last week. The closed and hush-hush affair took advantage of a major public distraction, the Asia-Africa Conference.
The ceremony, which took place at the main meeting room of the National Police Headquarters, was only attended by two- and three-star generals, a few staff members and members of the National Police Commission. Not too long ago, Budi Gunawan's nomination as the police chief was withdrawn by President Joko Widodo, due to massive public protests. People were angered because Budi Gunawan had been reported widely by the media as being charged for corruption.
Haiti, who was sworn in to his new job by the president on April 17, is not unaware of the controversy Budi Gunawan's appointment as deputy police chief was bound to create. But he is convinced it had gone through the legal procedures, such as obtaining the approval of the Senior Officers Promotions Council (Wanjakti), on the previous day. Reportedly, the council unanimously voted for Budi Gunawan over three other candidates.
That afternoon after swearing in his deputy, Haiti met with Tempo reporters Isma Savitri and Dewi Suci Rahayu for an interview in his office.
People were angry when Budi Gunawan was nominated as police chief. Now he's been chosen to be your deputy?
There's bound to be people for and against [his appointment], as well as my own as the national police chief. There's no denying that. But let's see how he performs. We could have chosen someone else, but would we have the same results? There's no way of knowing. The deputy police chief was chosen by his fellow police officers and they know well his plus and minus points.
Does that mean you're confident Budi Gunawan is the right person to stand by you?
I certainly hope so because that is much better than my working alone. If all of the council members voted for him, that means there's something good about him. This wouldn't be the first time that I will be working with him. So we know each other's plus and minus sides.
Or is it because he is the candidate approved by those in power?
Not really. There are some members of the House of Representatives (DPR) who hoped he wouldn't make it.
How many three-star generals are there, and why was Budi Gunawan chosen?
The council chose him. It was unanimous.
Many people see a lot of external political pressure in this decision. Some politicians have been vocal about their support for Budi.
It's nothing like that. The president's instruction was to leave it to the Wanjakti council. He didn't intervene and neither did the DPR. People may think the police are under political pressure. The challenge for us will be to prove that the risks are not as bad as people think.
The corruption charges against Budi Gunawan are being investigated by the Police Crime Investigation Division (Bareskrim). Won't that be a problem?
No problem. Even the police chief can be investigated. The investigation results were submitted to the council.
What's so special about Budi Gunawan?
He's good with personnel, with products and coming up with concepts, including those on bureaucratic reform. So, in my opinion, on staff work, he is quite good, so he can help me with that. He's a cool person, an ideas man and he has good vision.
Many people are concerned that the police force will now have twin suns, or a two-person leadership, because the two of you are equally powerful. In fact, the worry is that Budi Gunawan will dominate.
Let's see what happens. I don't see any two suns. I am the police chief, I hold the authority and I am in command.
Why did the Budi Gunawan swearing-in ceremony seem like a closed event?
It was the same with the swearing-in of Pak Budi Waseso yesterday. It will take place in the upper floor and no invitations have been sent out yet. If it's done tomorrow (Thursday), I won't make it. So, the time is now. If others haven't been invited, well, that's alright, we will just have a simple ceremony: only the two- and three-star generals in attendance, with members of the National Police Commission and a few staff members.
Why weren't the media allowed in?
They could have attended it, because it wasn't a closed event, but the venue is quite small. We wouldn't be able to keep such events closed, many people are bound to find out about it. (*)
Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
