Jakarta – Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) spokesman Vice Marshall Graito Usodo yesterday said that TNI is set to announce a reshuffle of several senior officers on Monday, including the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lieut. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah.
Agus has meanwhile confirmed to sources that he would hand over his position to Maj. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, the current chief of the Jakarta military command (Pangdam Jaya) "The reshuffle would be announced soon. Insya Allah [God Willing], barring obstacles, it will be announced tomorrow [today]," Graito said yesterday.
Agus, a Harvard-trained senior officer, has in recent times come under media scrutiny for what many have described as his over zealousness to uncover a major financial scandal within the crack military unit.
The financial scam, reports say, involved Rp350 billion, most of which were left unaccounted for by his predecessor Lieut. Gen. Djadja Suparman. An audit conducted under Agus' auspices early this month led to the dimissal of two Kostrad senior officers.
Today's planned TNI reshuffle would be the third since Abdurrahman Wahid came to office as president, and promised to reform the military as part of wide democratic changes.
Graito said further that the official announcement is to be made at the Defence Ministry at Jl. Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta. However, Graito refused to mention the names of officers who will be re-assigned to other post. "I am a professional. I won't tell you the names before the official announcement," said Graito.
A military analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Kusnanto Anggoro, meanwhile said that a new military institution would be set up, namely the Inter-Forces Joint Staff, which he predicted would be headed by the current Air Force chief, Marshall Hanafie Asnan.
The Observer has learned that Wirahadikusumah is to be posted at the Defence Ministry, and that his post is to be handed over to Ryacudu, who is the son-in-law of former Vice President Try Soetrisno.
Filling the post left vacant by Ryacudu, sources say, would be current Udayana Military Command chief Major-General Kiki Syahnakri. However, other sources insist that Ryacudu's replacement would be Maj. Gen. Slamet Kirbianto, the Wirabuana Military Command chief who oversees Sulawesi. Kirbianto is now in Jakarta on official visit.
TNI's earlier reshuffle involved two senior commanders out of 122 officers, 60 from the army, 26 from the navy and 16 from the air force. The shake-up included replacing the chief the elite forces Kopassus commander Maj. Gen. Syahrir MS. by Brig. Gen. Amirul Isnaini and chief of the Pattimura regional military command. which oversees the Maluku province, Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela by Balinese Colonel I Made Yasa, who was later promoetd to become brigadier general. Syahrir, who was replaced by Brig. Gen. Amirul Isnaini, was appointed as operations assistant to the Army chief of staff.