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EDITORIAL: Terror on the KPK
Failure to solve Novel Baswedan’s case will further endanger the country’s bid to win its war on graft.
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An activist displays a poster stating:“We fight together with Novel Baswedan” as an expression of supports for the senior investigator of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). (Antara/Reno Esnir)
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fter more than 100 days, the acid attack that seriously wounded the eyes of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan remains a mystery. There have been no solid clues as to who perpetrated the assault, which was apparently aimed at ending Novel’s illustrious career as one of the country’s toughest graft busters and, hence, undermining the national anticorruption drive.
For many, the police are looking to drag their feet and our patience as the ongoing probe has produced no significant progress. The only leap the police have made after more than three months of investigation was a sketch of a man whom investigators deem is a potential suspect of the attack.
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian unveiled the sketch after he met with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday. The sketch was drawn with the help of, among others, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) based on the testimony of a key witness whose identity has been kept anonymous for security reasons.
Tito also said the police and KPK would form a joint investigation team to accelerate the probe into the attack.
Perhaps due to the slow progress of the investigation, President Jokowi summoned Tito to hear how far the probe had gone. Shortly after the April 11 incident, President Jokowi ordered Tito to thoroughly probe into the case and capture anyone behind what he called a “brutal attack on someone who upholds his principles.”
Civil society groups and the public at large have expressed their concern about the snail’s pace of the police investigation, and therefore urged the formation of an independent fact finding team, saying the police alone would be unable to solve the case.
On several occasions Novel, who was interviewed while undergoing treatment in Singapore, hinted at a split within the police force with regard to the probe into his attack. He told Tempo magazine that he suspected a police officer had stalked him and someone had attempted to bug him a few days prior to the attack. He also went as far as alleging that a police general had masterminded the assault against him.
As a seasoned investigator and an ex-cop himself, Novel is very familiar with the steps of an investigation. His allegations will not help the police uncover the culprits behind the acid attack unless he comes up with strong evidence. His grievances, however, represent the public’s curiosity over whether the police are really serious about solving the case or are defying the President’s orders.
Uncovering the perpetrators of the acid attack and their motive is by no means the interest of Novel as the victim of a crime. The attack is symbolic, given Novel’s prominent role in the KPK’s success in revealing highprofile graft cases involving politicians, state high-ranking officials, as well as police generals. Novel was attacked as the court was hearing the e-ID card corruption scandal, the probe of which he led.
The terror may not stop at Novel. Failure to solve Novel’s case will further endanger the country’s bid to win its war on graft.
