Jakarta – Legislators plan to launch an inquiry into the chief of state-owned port operator Pelindo II in connection with the removal from office of the police general who instigated a corruption probe into the company.
Masinton Pasaribu, a legislator with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said on Friday that the removal of Budi Waseso as the National Police's chief of detectives was precipitated by Pelindo president director Richard J. Lino's outburst over a police raid on his office last Friday.
"Lino even phoned his superiors" – including Vice President Jusuf Kalla – "and threatened to resign because his office was raided," Masinton said. "It seems Lino was afraid, which is why he made that threat."
The raid centered on allegations that Pelindo, under Lino's watch, squandered billions of rupiah in state funds on mobile cranes. The company has denied the allegation, pointing to an independent audit that showed there was nothing wrong with the purchase.
The raid, replete with a media entourage invited by the police, was just one in a litany of controversial investigations instigated by Waseso since he took office in January.
The police general, perhaps most notorious for pursuing highly dubious criminal charges against antigraft officials, was on Friday removed as the National Police's chief of detectives – the most powerful office in the force after that of the police chief – and transferred to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN).
Masinton, whose party has long supported Waseso throughout the general's campaign against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said Lino appeared to wield "unusual" powers in "agitating" for Waseso to be removed from office. (For the record, Lino made no such demands; he only questioned the merit of the investigation and threatened to resign from Pelindo.)
"This raises the question of just who is Lino, really? Let's dig into his history, because he's the agitator in this case. He was the one who made the phone call as his office was being raided, which led to a further series of phone calls, resulting in [Waseso] being removed as chief of detectives," Masinton said.
Aboebakar Al Habsyi, who like Masinton serves on the House of Representatives' Commission III, overseeing legal affairs, said it was clear that Waseso's transfer was the result of outside interference in the police force.
"There were indications that pressure was brought to bear after the Pelindo [...] raid, and now it's become even more apparent," said Aboebakar, from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
Trimedya Pandjaitan, a deputy chairman of House Commission III, said he would recommend that the commission set up an inquiry committee into the Pelindo case in light of Waseso's removal.
He called the removal "highly politicized," and said Waseso was the "victim" of business interests. (No one from the House used those words to describe the police's treatment of the KPK officials mired in trumped-up charges.)
"We deplore the lack of support [for Waseso] from the police force, because he was a victim of the Pelindo case. That's why Commission III will set up a special committee on Pelindo, so that the investigation that Waseso started can continue," said Trimedya, a PDI-P member.