Indonesians call for action after brutal acid attack on anti-graft investigator

Indonesians go hand-in-hand in massive supports for Novel Baswedan, a senior investigator with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), suffered burns to his face from an acid attack on Tuesday morning.

Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, the chairman of the youth wing of Indonesia’s second biggest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, said he was shocked to hear the report about the physical attack against the senior antigraft investigator.

“I condemn this violence and expect authorities to impose a heavy sentence on the perpetrator,” Dahnil said in a statement on Tuesday.

He further said: “I call on all Indonesians to pray for Novel Baswedan and accompany him in fighting against barbaric acts of terror committed by crooks who are displeased with ongoing corruption eradication efforts in Indonesia."

"I urge the police to immediately take action against and arrest the perpetrators of the acid attack against Novel Baswedan."

Novel is one of the top KPK investigators who has led some high-profile cases in the past, such as those related to the procurement of driver's license simulators, which implicated then National Police traffic division chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo.

Novel also took part in a KPK investigation that uncovered extensive corruption related to the implementation of an e-ID program. Several House of Representatives members and high-ranking government officials have been implicated in that case.

"I and all members of the Muhammadiyah youth wing will stand in the forefront in protecting and accompanying Novel Baswedan in his efforts to fight corrupt people who are a threat to this country,"  Dahnil said.

KPK workers’ union also released a statement condemning the acid attack against its member.

“We strongly condemn this barbaric act, which is a form of terror and an effort to weaken the KPK,” the statement said.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. M. Iriawan visit Novel Baswedan at a hospital in North Jakarta on April 11. (Tribunnews.com/File)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has also strongly condemned the acid attack against the senior KPK investigator and ordered the National Police to bring the perpetrators of the terror act to justice.

“This is a brutal attack, and I strongly condemn it. I order the National Police Chief [Gen. Tito Karnavian] to find the perpetrators,” Jokowi told reporters at the State Palace on Tuesday.

Jokowi said that Novel was a KPK investigator who had good integrity and thus he did not want to see similar incidents in the future.

“Don’t let people like [Novel] who have strong principles get hurt in inhumane ways. [The attack] must not take place again in the future,” the President said.

Jokowi further said that other KPK investigators should not be discouraged by the attack, and he urged them to continue their jobs as usual to crackdown on corruption in the country.

“Go ahead, continue working as usual, and the police will handle the attack,” Jokowi said.

In response to President Jokowi’s call, the Jakarta Police began investigating the case which is currently delving into the evidence and questioning witnesses of the incident.

“We are now searching for any surveillance cameras [that might have recorded the incident],” said Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono.  Hydrochloric acid was splashed onto Novel’s face, but he remained conscious after the incident.

As the assault took place within a guarded residential complex, the police would interview the security guards of the area, he said.

Get ready: Novel Baswedan (right) and two other Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators, Ambarita Damanik (left) and M. Irwan Santoso (center), arrive at the Jakarta Corruption Court to give a testimony in the e-ID graft case trial on March 27. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)

Novel graduated from the Police Academy in 1998 and promptly joined the Bengkulu Police Resort, where he rose up through the ranks until he was appointed as the head of the criminal investigation department (Kasatreskrim).

He served at the Bengkulu Police Resort for nine years before he was called to the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) in 2005. Novel then joined the KPK in 2014 after 16 years of service as a police officer.

As an anti-graft investigator with a police background, Novel was firm in investigating officers who were above his rank in the police. He was widely praised for his investigation into the driving simulator graft case in 2012, which implicated Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, a former national traffic police commander.

Novel was also credited with playing a significant part in the apprehension of Hambalang sports complex graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin after the latter attempted to avoid prosecution by hiding in Cartagena, Colombia.

Novel is currently a leading KPK investigator in the e-id case, which allegedly implicates several members of the House of Representatives and high-ranking government officials. (dan)

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by Dandy Koswaraputra

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