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No entity allowed to feel 'above the law', says Jokowi
President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo has said the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) must stand shoulder to shoulder in corruption eradication and neither is allowed to feel more superior than the other
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P
resident Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has said the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) must stand shoulder to shoulder in corruption eradication and neither is allowed to feel more superior than the other.
'The KPK and the National Police must support each other in eradicating corruption. Let the KPK work, let the National Police work. There should be no entity in this country that feels it is more above the law than the other,' he said as quoted by kompas.com in a press conference at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Sunday.
During the press conference, Jokowi repeatedly said there should be no criminalization in law enforcement in the country. He further said ongoing legal processes against KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto and Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, the National Police chief candidate, must be conducted as clearly as possible.
'The legal processes must run well. There should be no intervention. I will continue to monitor and safeguard the processes,' said Jokowi.
The President made the statements after he summoned and asked several leaders to give their opinions about growing polemics in the public over the rivalry between the KPK and the National Police.
'We were requested to give input over the problem and relations between the KPK and the National Police, including about their personnel,' said former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshidiqie, after accompanying Jokowi in the press conference in Jakarta on Sunday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
He said Jokowi had summoned seven leaders but one of them, Ahmad Syafii Ma'arif of the country's second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, could not attend the meeting as he was out of the city.
Jimly said that as of Sunday, there was no plan to establish an independent team to help solve the conflict between the KPK and the National Police; however, Jokowi would continue to consult with the seven leaders about the matter in the future.
'We want to help calm down tensions in the public and ensure a transparent law enforcement process. We will also make sure that both the KPK and the National Police will get support from all of us. Both the KPK and the National Police will hopefully be able to work selectively in enforcing the law. We can give them input at any time and we will continue to communicate with the KPK and the National Police,' said Jimly. (ebf)(+++)
