Pradopo Hands Over Police Command To Sutarman

Jakarta, Oct 29 (Antara) - General Timur Pradopo has handed over the office of the Indonesian Police Command to Commissioner General Sutarman, the new state police chief at the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Headquarters of Kelapa Dua, West Java. "We have conducted the hand-over ceremony for the command stick, duty badge, and Indonesian Police pennant as well as the Tri Brata symbol to Commissioner General Sutarman for the post previously held by General Pradopo," said spokesman of the National Police Inspector General Ronny F. Sompie in Depok, West Java, on Tuesday. The inauguration ceremony was held at 8 a.m. on Tuesday and was attended by several institution chiefs, ministers, and regional police chiefs. Sompie noted that some 720 VIP guests were invited to the events following the inauguration ceremony at Brimob Headquarters. "After Pradopo hands over the police command to Sutarman, we will begin the inauguration of the new Bhayangkari chairman, police women tutor, and the internal welcome and farewell ceremonies," Sompie explained. Previously, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had inaugurated Sutarman as the state police chief, replacing Pradopo, on Friday. President Yudhoyono had submitted only one candidate to the House of Representatives (DPR) for the role of the Indonesian police chief. The DPR approved Sutarman`s candidacy for the police chief role after conducting a fit-and-proper test on Oct. 17.