Jakarta Police investigators continued on Friday to hunt for the person responsible for shooting at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry building in South Jakarta and determine a possible motive.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian said on Friday that investigators were looking into whether the shooting was connected to ministry expert staffer Widhyawan Prawiraatmadja, who was not at the scene when his room was fired upon at about 1 p.m. on Thursday.

At the time of the incident, Widhyawan was accompanying Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said at a press conference in another building.

'€œWe are investigating the case both by examining the crime scene and evidence and by seeing whether there is a problem involving Wawan as an individual or if the problem concerns the institution,'€ Tito told reporters at Halim Perdanakusuma airport.

Besides questioning a number of witnesses, the police have questioned Widhyawan and ministry secretary-general Teguh Pamudji.

It has been revealed that Widhyawan was questioned several times as a witness by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2013 in an investigation into his former boss, former Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) chief Rudi Rubiandini.

He was summoned for questioning as a witness once again in 2014 for KPK'€™s investigation into then-president director of ammonia manufacturer PT Kaltim Parna Industri, Artha Meris Simbolon.

The police, Tito said, were also looking into the possibility that it was an accidental shooting.

The police suspect the shot was fired from the Casablanca overpass near the ministry building in Kuni-
ngan, East Jakarta, using a handmade pistol.

According to Tito, the shooting left a 12-centimeter hole in the window of Widhyawan'€™s office.

Considering that the distance between the shooter and Widhyawan'€™s office was about 40 meters, Tito said he believed the shooting was by a non-professional.

Tito also said the Jakarta Police would provide security for Widhyawan in anticipation of a second
attack.

'€œThe Jakarta Police and a number of precincts will provide protection if requested,'€ Tito said.

After hearing news about the shooting, Sudirman said he wanted the police to investigate the case.

'€œLet the police officers handle the case until it is completed,'€ he said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Mohammad Iqbal said on Friday that the National Police'€™s forensics team was analyzing the bullet and glass fragments from the shot window.

'€œWe are as of yet unable to determine what sort of gun the bullet came from,'€ he said.

Separately, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Masinton Pasaribu, who is also on House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs, urged the police to immediately arrest the perpetrator.

'€œThe police must arrest the suspect and figure out the motive behind the shooting as soon as possible so that the public will not worry and will feel protected,'€ he told reporters on Friday.

Masinton said that investigators should not have much difficulty tracking down the suspect as there were security cameras all over Kuningan. (alm)

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