A top police officer and the deputy attorney general resigned -- a rare case of Indonesian officials taking responsibility for wrongdoing.

They are the chief of detectives in the national police force, and the country’s Deputy Attorney General.

The resignations came after a respected team of legal experts recommended that the two men resign.

Transparency International named Indonesia’s police and judiciary as the country’s most corrupt institutions. The group said a clean up of these agencies would be positive for reform.

Both men were linked to the detention of two of four deputy chiefs at the Corruption Eradication Commission, also called the KPK.

Indonesians have expressed outrage at the apparent attempts by businessmen and officials to harm the KPK, and there are widespread calls for those involved to be fired.

[Iwan Setiawan, Jakarta Resident]:
"If I was the chief of detectives, I would resign to rehabilitate my name for the credibility and legal system of the country."

Police refused to charge the police chief this week, despite the evidence from tapes, leading to even more public outrage.

The Indonesian president asked for both the police chief and deputy attorney general to be suspended from their duties.

[Nanan Sukarna, National Police Spokesman]:
"Today he (Susno Duadji, chief of detectives) has submitted his resignation letter and the police chief has confirmed this in the presidential palace but he has yet to accept the resignation."

The attorney general also confirmed that his deputy would quit.

[Hendarman Supandji, Attorney General]:
"Yes he told me he will resign if he makes the institution look bad and today he will submit his resignation letter to me."

Both names had turned up in the tapes played at the Constitutional Court earlier this week.