Indonesia’s Prabowo appoints new police chief following scandals at the force

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is replacing Listyo Sigit Prabowo as the country’s police chief with the head of the National Narcotics Agency, Suyudi Ario Seto, amid reports of police transgressions under Listyo’s watch in recent years.

Chairman of the House Commission on Legal Affairs Habiburokhman confirmed on Thursday morning that the house had received a presidential letter dismissing Listyo and nominating Suyudi to the post, according to Tempo news magazine.

“This morning, we received a letter from President Prabowo … concerning the proposal to dismiss the current national police chief and appoint a new one,” he said during a meeting at the house complex in Senayan, Jakarta.

“Commission III of the house has been tasked with conducting the fit-and-proper test for General Suyudi, the nominee for national police chief.”

Prabowo’s move ends weeks of speculation that the president was planning to appoint a new police chief following allegations of impunity, abuse of power and police brutality in the force when Listyo was in charge, according to The Jakarta Post.

Listyo, who took office during former president Joko Widodo’s administration, has been in the post for over five years, making him the second longest-serving national police chief.

During his tenure, the force faced major scandals, including the case of Ferdy Sambo, the head of internal affairs, who was convicted of killing his bodyguard in 2022. The country’s police also came under scrutiny during last year’s nationwide protests, when an armoured vehicle belonging to the force’s Mobile Brigade hit and killed delivery rider Affan Kurniawan.

Since last year, Listyo has been embroiled in tensions with the Attorney General’s Office related to overlapping corruption and money-laundering investigations involving high-level officials at both institutions.

When asked why Listyo had to go, speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani told Antara news agency: “It was his time.”

At his fit-and-proper test on Thursday, Suyudi presented his strategic vision titled Polri Bersama Masyarakat (Police with the Community), promising closer cooperation between law enforcement and local communities to maintain public safety and order.

The commission has endorsed Suyudi’s appointment and approved Listyo’s honourable discharge.

Suyudi, 53, has a long track record in the police force, Kompas newspaper reported. Since graduating from the police academy in 1994, he has held senior posts in the force, including head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at several stations and regional police chief.

He has been carrying out his duties as the head of the National Narcotics Agency since August 25 last year. The number of high-profile drug raids under him counted towards his nomination as police chief, said Sugeng Teguh Santoso, chairman of the Indonesia Police Watch.

“As a member of the National Police, he has previously led the National Narcotics Agency and has also served as chief of the Banten regional police, as well as the deputy chief of the Metro Jaya regional police. I believe this is a significant note that he understands the management of a large unit, including the National Police,” Sugeng told Kompas.

Suyudi faced significant challenges, Bambang Rukminto, a police observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies, told the newspaper.

He would need to restructure the organisation, implement unfinished cultural reforms, and adapt to technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence. Another big challenge would be to transform the force into an independent institution.

“The independence of the police chief does not mean being opposed to or disobedient to the president, but rather how to lead the police to always adhere to the constitution,” Bambang said.