General Budi Gunawan gets Indonesia's No 2 police job despite graft scandal
Budi Gunawan quietly appointed after missing out on the top position over corruption row
Three-star general Budi Gunawan was quietly sworn in as Indonesia's No 2 police officer yesterday, two months after being dropped by the president for the top job due to his implication in a bribery scandal.
The politically connected general was initially chosen by President Joko Widodo to lead the police, but his name was eventually withdrawn in February after weeks of public outcry.
Gunawan has maintained his innocence in the bribery case, and the case against him was eventually dropped by Indonesia's main anti-graft agency.
Widodo's anti-graft credentials - which helped bring him to power six months ago - were dented by the controversy, and his weeks of dithering raised questions about his readiness to take on vested interests in Southeast Asia's largest economy.
The president eventually chose Badrodin Haiti as police chief, who in turn picked Gunawan to be his deputy.
"The inauguration of Budi Gunawan has started according to our tradition," said police spokesman Anton Charliyan.