Durian. Indonesian National Police Chief Gen. Idham Aziz has officially dismissed Jakarta and West Java Police chiefs — Insp. Gen. Nana Sudjana and Insp. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi — following several mass gathering since the arrival of the leader of the Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI) Rizieq Shihab on Nov.10 after about three years of hiding in Saudi Arabia due to some criminal offenses domestically.
Huge number of crowd welcomed Shihab’s arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten. Following the arrival, Shihab attended Muslim commemoration of Prophet’s Muhammad birthday in South Jakarta and held a wedding ceremony of his daughter, attended by thousands invitees on Nov.14.
Police did not ban any of those crowd as well as mobilization of people in a huge number from West Java to Jakarta.
National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Argo Yuwono said Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Nana Sudjana West Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Rudi Sufahriadi were dismissed as of Nov.16 because they did not follow the order to disperse the crowd according to health protocol of pandemic covid-19.
“There are two regional police chiefs who were considered not carrying out orders in enforcing duties to secure health protocol and therefore given sanction in the form of dismissal, namely Jakarta Police chief and West Java police chief,” Yuwono said in a virtual press conference on Nov. 16.
Sudjana was replaced by Insp. Gen. Fadil Imran, who previously served as East Java police chief. While Sufahriadi was replaced by Insp. Gen. Ahmad Dofiri who previously served as an assistant of the national police chief.
Police will also investigate a number of officials such as leaders of community groups RT and RW, city police, the mayor of Central Jakarta, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and the Jakarta covid-19 task force regarding the activities that triggered the gathering of mass crowds in Petamburan area where the headquarters of FPI and home of Shihab.
“We will ask them for clarification with allegations of criminal offenses regarding health quarantine [procedure],” Yuwono said.
Activities Violate Health Protocol
Upon Shihab arrival in Jakarta on Nov. 10, the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has always been followed by large number of followers. Access roads to the airport were paralyzed and flight schedules were chaotic because of the crowds filled the arrival terminal.
On Nov.14, thousands of people came attending the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday commemoration attended by Shihab in Tebet area, South Jakarta.
In the same day, at Petamburan, Shihab held a wedding ceremony for his daughter Syarifah Najwa. A number of people who came were seen not wearing masks and huddled together making it difficult to keep their distance.
Similar crowd happened in Bogor,West Java on Nov.13 at the Agro-Cultural Islamic Boarding School in Mega Mendung when Shihab attended an event there. Thousands of people gathered and dismissed covid-19 health protocol.
