NGOs Urge President to Choose Clean Police Chief

Jakarta (Antara) - A number of non-governmental organizations gathered at the Kontras office here on Friday to urge President Joko Widodo to appoint a national police chief who has an unblemished record. \"In short, we are here to ask President Jokowi to act firmly and choose a national police chief who has a clean records,\" coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Usman Hadi, said. He added that the appointment of a new police chief candidate, following the postponement of the inauguration of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan, would help settle the current discussions between the National Police (Polri) and the Commission of Corruption Eradication (KPK). President Jokowi decided to postpone the inauguration of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan after Budi Gunawan was named as a suspect by the KPK, despite the fact that his candidacy had been endorsed by the parliament. Budi Gunawan was President Jokowi\'s sole candidate for national police chief, but one day before his candidacy was scrutinized by the parliament for endorsement Budi Gunawan was named as a suspect over an alleged corruption case by KPK. (*)