After a stampede incident killed 125 people in one of the worst football stadium disasters ever on Saturday, at Kanjuruhan Stadium, Indonesia, the local police chief Ferli Hidayat was sacked and five other officers were suspended. 

Dedi Prasetyo, a national spokesperson of the police, announced the decision on Monday. He said that at least 28 policemen were investigated as part of the process for ethical violations in their conduct during Saturday’s incident

Also read: Indonesia stampede: Police chief Ferli Hidayat removed from office

A fact-finding team comprising state officials, football association officers, other experts and journalists was formed by the government to conduct a probe into the incident. Hidayat’s sacking came as part of the committee’s recommendations. 

Who is Ferli Hidayat?

Ferli Hidayat was born on September 3, 1982, in Palembang, South Sumatra. He graduated from the Taruna Nusantara High School in 2001 and joined the Police Academy for a career in the state force.

Within three years, Hidayat completed his training at the Police Academy in 2004, and joined the Indonesia Police once his graduation was formally complete. At the beginning of his career, he was posted in the traffic department and spent several years there.

His move away from the traffic department came when he joined the police department of the Bungkol Spripim Subsection as its head. he became the chief of the Malang police department on January 24, 2022.

Also read: Indonesia’s history of football violence

“We are working fast, but with prudence,” police spokesperson Prasetyo told reporters at a press conference where he announced Hidayat’s sacking. 

Indonesia’s security affairs minister Mohammad Mahfud said that the investigation is expected to be completed in the next two to three weeks.

He was speaking to the press after attending a meeting of senior ministers and security officials where the tragedy was discussed.