National police attorney warns of 'chaos' if police go on strike

Detik News - February 2, 2015

Ayunda W Savitri, Jakarta – The legal attorney representing national police (Polri) headquarters and Commissioner General Budi Gunawan, Frederick Yunadi has asked that the national police not always be blamed in the conflict with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). According to Yunadi, in day-to-day terms for example, the police's role is far more significant.

"If 435 thousand police officers go on strike, what would happen? It could be chaos. If the KPK went on strike, for just one year, the police and the attorney general could handle corruption, it would still be secure", said Yunandi Monday, who also previously represented retired Commissioner General Susno Duadji.

According to Yunadi, the national police are regulated under the 1945 Constitution, while the KPK is only regulated by a law. So the KPK and the police are at different levels.

"How can the KPK direct to the president on who should become an government official. This issue has to be understood, don't blame Polri", he asserted.

Yunadi does not deny that there are rogue police among the 425 thousand officers. Recalcitrant officers have also been reprimanded. "I too often debate and argue with those kind of police officers", he explained.

Yunadi also does not deny that the Gunawan affair has now involved [the police] as an institution. "What's important is that it's not politicised", said Yunani accusingly referring to the Gunawan case.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Pengacara Polri: Bila 425 Ribu Polisi Mogok Bisa Chaos, Kalau KPK Mogok Masih Aman!.]

Source: http://news.detik.com/read/2015/02/02/143547/2821013/10/pengacara-polri-bila-425-ribu-polisi-mogok-bisa-chaos-kalau-kpk-mogok-masih-aman.