Ombudsman to examine Novel's suspicious legal process

The Indonesian Ombudsman will investigate a report filed by the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) lawyers regarding the legal process of an assault case while KPK investigator Comr. Novel Baswedan was a detective with Bengkulu Police in 2004.

Ombudsman commissioner Budi Santoso said on Tuesday thathis office would seek clarification from Bengkulu High Court and the Bengkulu Police on two oddities the lawyers found in Novel's punishment letter from 2004 and the official commencement of an investigation [SPDP] this October.

 According to the KPK report, Bengkulu Police imposed two punishments on Novel: a warning letter and a seven-day detention. Novel only received the warning letter and never served the detention period.

KPK also report that Novel's SPDP was issued three days after the attempt to arrest him at KPK headquarters on Oct. 5.

“We have to establish the authenticity of the letters and documents,” Budi said.

The ombudsman will ask for complete documentation in connection with Novel's case from the police, the court and the victims' lawyers, who - according to the police - filed a report against Novel.

Budi said that the dispute might only based on an administrative mistake but the Ombudsman needed to know which officials issued the letters.

 The police have named Novel a suspect in the torture and shooting robbery suspects when he was a police detective in Bengkulu in 2004.

 Many believe the move was simply to disrupt the KPK's investigation into high profile corruption at the National Police Traffic Corps, in which Novel is the lead investigator. (cor/swd)