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After having gone to great lengths to have former chief of detectives Susno Duadji prosecuted for graft and embezzlement, the National Police are now going out of their way to help him avoid getting locked up.

The National Police’s legal division is busily preparing Susno’s appeal against his conviction and three-and-a-half-year jail sentence handed down last week by the South Jakarta District Court.

This turn of events was made possible by the fact that Susno lodged an immediate appeal against his jailing and is still officially a free man ­— and a serving police officer — until the appeal is heard. If he loses the appeal and goes to jail, he will be dismissed from the force.

Despite complaining last week of being ostracized by his colleagues for blowing the whistle on corruption in the force, Susno says he still has full confidence in the National Police to handle his appeal.

“God willing, my appeal will be prepared by the National Police legal division [on Thursday],” Susno said.

“I fully trust them. However, my personal team of lawyers is ready to assist.”

As well as the prison sentence, Susno had to choose between a Rp 200 million ($23,000) fine or an additional six months in jail. He was also ordered by the court to return Rp 4 billion in assets.

Prosecutors had demanded seven years for Susno, who was named a suspect by police two months after he shocked the nation with public allegations that senior police officials had acted as case brokers in a money-laundering investigation involving rogue taxman Gayus Tambunan.

Now Susno says there was never any conflict with the National Police. “I have full confidence in my institution since they are also risking their reputation by preparing my appeal. There never was any hostility,” he said.

Susno’s lawyer, Efran Helmi Juni, said the police involvement did not mean his team would abandon the case. Instead, both sides would work together in preparing the appeal, he said.

Susno was found guilty of taking a Rp 500 million bribe to facilitate the handling of a legal dispute concerning a fish farm in Riau and embezzling Rp 8 billion from security funds set aside for elections in West Java while he was police chief there.

Speaking separately, prosecutors confirmed they would also appeal for a higher jail sentence.

Susno’s run-ins with the National Police have been well-documented. He irked police officials by testifying for the defense at the murder trial of former antigraft czar Antasari Azhar.

Never before had an active, uniformed officer testified for the defendant in a criminal case.

Former National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri also went as far as to order the public arrest of Susno in April last year.