Jakarta. Two high-ranking police officers have been removed from the National Police International Relations and Transnational Crimes Division following the controversial removal of graft convict Djoko Tjandra from the Interpol wanted list.

The division oversees the National Central Bureau (NCB) of the Interpol in Jakarta.

Division head Insp. Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte and NCB Jakarta Secretary Brig. Gen. Nugroho Slamet Wibowo were transferred to less important positions, according to a circular seen by the Jakarta Globe on Friday.

Both men were given a new role as “policy analysts” at the National Police headquarters.

The National Police have come under fire over reports that Djoko managed to enter the country, travel between cities, produce an ID card and an Indonesian passport and attend a district court registering legal challenge against his conviction between May and June.

It emerged that the NCB Jakarta has revoked the red notice since 2014 without the consent of prosecutors.

The NCB issued a red notice against Djoko in 2009 at the request of the Attorney General’s Office, who sought to imprison the convict.

Nugroho notified Immigration Director General Jhoni Ginting in May that the red notice has been removed, so Djoko was granted clearance at the country’s immigration checkpoints. 

It remains unclear why Nugroho felt compelled to notify the immigration chief about the red notice removal and why the latter didn’t bother to alert prosecutors.

Djoko did enter the country after getting clearance and came to the immigration office to apply for passport, which he earned within two days.

Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Argo Yuwono indicated that Napoleon and Nugroho have breached the ethics.

“Ethical and disciplinary misconducts carry sanctions,” Argo said in Jakarta.

The news came only two days after another high-ranking officer was detained in connection to the Djoko Tjandra saga. 

Brig. Gen. Prasetijo Utomo was stripped off his duties at the Criminal Investigation Agency for providing Djoko a recommendation letter. The convict also secured a Covid-19 free certificate issued by the National Police health division.

During the pandemic, air passengers in Indonesia must show a recommendation letter to guarante the trip was essential and a Covid-19 free certificate before being allowed to board a plane. 

Djoko was sentenced to two years in jail and ordered to repay $37 million in state losses in 2009 but he had fled the country a day before his sentencing was announced. He has since lived in self-imposed exile in Papua New Guinea.

Immigration Director General Jhoni Ginting was grilled over by the House of Representatives’ legal commission on Monday for letting the convict enter the country without any attempt to arrest him and for granting him an Indonesian passport, despite reports that Djoko has earned a Papua New Guinea citizenship.

No disciplinary measures have been taken against Jhoni so far.

By contrast, a low-ranking Jakarta official was demoted after helping Djoko obtain an ID card in May.