Jakarta – The State Civilian Bureaucracy Commission (KASN) has revealed that the Jakarta administration has ignored its letters questioning the demotion of several high-ranking officials.
"The first incident [of demotions] was on January 10. We sent a letter [to the administration]. Our letter was not responded to and there was another round of demotions," KASN commissioner I Made Suwandi told Kompas TV on Tuesday.
On June 3, the administration demoted several officials again, including former Jakarta Education Agency head Sopan Adrianto, former Jakarta Public Housing and Buildings Agency head Agustino Darmawan and former Goods and Services Procurement Agency head Indrastuty Rosari Okita.
Made said the commission had also sent a letter questioning the administration's decision to demote the three officials, as demotions were typically only made if violations had occurred.
On July 5, the administration demoted several officials again, including four mayors, who claimed they did not receive any verbal or written warnings before being dismissed.
"Before the administration responded to our letters, another round of demotions happened. It kept coming," Made said.
Made said the commission had questioned the demoted officials, city secretary Saefullah and the governor and had also asked the administration to submit an investigation report on the demotions, but that the latter had used media reports to justify demoting the officials.
On Friday, July 27, the commission published a press release, urging the governor to reinstate 16 civil servants that he had fired, on the grounds that procedures and regulations had been violated during the process. (ami)