Public trust is the most valuable asset of all government organizations, including law enforcement institutions, whose operational expenditures are financed by taxpayers money.

However, the decision of the National Police (Polri) to promote six officers involved in the obstruction of justice case at times of the investigation of the August 9, 2022 murder of Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat has eroded that trust.

This decision has sparked polemics, questioning the commitment of the National Police in enforcing the law and maintaining the integrity of the institution.

Although there are still many other police officers with clean track records, the National Police instead gives thesix officers, whe were already convicted for obstruction of justice during the investigation of the Yosua murder case, the opportunity to occupy strategic positions.

They are Senior Commissioner Budhi Herdi Susianto, Senior Commissioner Murbani Budi Pitono, Senior Commissioner Denny Setia Nugraha Nasution, Senior Commissioner Susanto, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Handik Zusen, and Adjunct Senior Commissioner Chuck Putranto.

The six of them were convicted by the court as accomplices to Inspector General Ferdy Sambo, the main defendant in the murder of Brigadier Yosua. Sambo was sentenced to death by the South Jakarta District Court, but the country’s highest court institution, the Supreme Court, converted the verdict into a life sentence. 

After undergoing ethical sanctions imposed against them,the six officers have now returned to the police institution with higher ranks and positions. 

Budhi Herdi, who was then Chief of the South Jakarta Police when he gave false testimony during a press conference on the chronology of Brigadier Yosua’s murder, has been promoted to lead the Police Personnel Management Bureau (Karowatpers) and got a one-star general in rank.

Murbani, who was Head of Administrative Planning Section at National Police’s Internal Affairs Division, now serves as an Inspector at the National Police’s General Supervision Inspectorate.

Denny Setia, who was Secretary at the Internal Security Bureau of the National Police’s Internal Affairs Division, now serves as Head of the Networking and Strategy Division of the Indonesian National Police's Staff Operations.

Susanto, who was Head of Law Enforcement Section at the National Police’s Internal Affairs Division, now serves as Senior Investigator at the National Police’s Crime Investigation Agency.

Handik Zusen, who was Head of Investigation Sub-Section at the Jakarta Police’s General Crimes Directorate, now serves as Head of the Operational Sub-Section at the General Crimes Directorate, the National Police’s Crime Investigation Agency, with the rank of Senior Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Chuck Putranto, who was private secretary to Sambo, now holds the rank of Senior Commissioner, serving at the Jakarta Police Headqurters.

The six officers’ promotion had received cynical response from the public. Some parties considered this promotion as a form of impunity in the police institution, where serious violations do not necessarily hinder someone's career, but rather seem to be a stepping stone to a higher position.

Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, said the National Police headquarters’ decision was not only wrong, but also showed that the police institution had not been serious about reforming itself after the murder case of Brigadier Yosua that shook public trust.

"We urge the House of Representatives (DPR) to summon the National Police Chief for a hearing and demand accountability. If necessary, replace the Police chief," Usman told a press conference in Menteng area, Jakarta, on December 9, 2024.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) similarly expressed its disappointment on the officers’ promotion.

Kontras Deputy Coordinator for External Affairs, Andrie Yunus, highlighted that this promotion violates the principle of the vetting mechanism, which is a mechanism that prevents individuals with a track record of human rights violations from occupying important positions in public institutions.

“Again and again, police officers who are clearly problematic are not given maximum punishment, but get promotions instead. In our opinion, this shows the increasingly low internal commitment of the National Police to comprehensively reform its institution. Police officers involved in crimes should be removed, or dishonorably discharged,” Andrie spoke to Indonesia Business Post on Thursday, February 20, 2025. 

He said that such promotion of problematic officers will damage the police’s performance and worsen its public services as mandated in Law No. 2/2002 on the National Police.  

Reflection

This case should serve as a major reflection for the Police force, especially in its institutional reform efforts that have long been echoed. This decision not only draws criticism, but also raises a fundamental question: to what extent is the Police truly committed to enforcing the law and building public trust?

Amid the sharp spotlight on the performance of law enforcement officers, a decision like this risks worsening the image of the police in the eyes of the public. If reform within the Police is only a discourse without concrete steps, then cases like this will continue to recur, creating a cycle of impunity that is difficult to break.