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As the KPK tightens the noose, someone is protecting the big fish

Thin brown line: Bengkulu Police detective unit chief Sr

The Jakarta Post
Mon, October 8, 2012

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As the KPK tightens the noose, someone is protecting the big fish

T

span class="inline inline-center">Thin brown line: Bengkulu Police detective unit chief Sr. Comr. Dedy Rianto (second left) talks with officers in the lobby of KPK headquarters on Jl. Rasuna Said in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Friday. Dedy wanted to arrest KPK investigator Novel Baswedan for crimes allegedly committed when he had Dedy’s job in 2004. Critics described the police campaign against Novel as the most recent in a series of blatant attempts to undermine the KPK after the commission declared Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo a suspect in a graft case. (Antara)

The latest in a long series of showdowns between the police and the KPK began late on Friday, when dozens of police officers tried to enter the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters to arrest KPK investigator Novel Baswedan for allegedly shooting robbery suspects in 2004. The Jakarta Post’s Rabby Pramudatama, Bagus BT Saragih and Rendi A. Witular explore the motive behind the incident. Here are the stories:

A recent investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) into the allegations of graft within the traffic police may kick-start a massive investigation into other cases at the National Police.

For the KPK, taking on suspected graft within the traffic police division, which is allegedly the biggest source of illicit funds for the National Police after the detective division, is of crucial importance according to transparency activists.

A raid by the KPK in late July on the traffic corps headquarters in South Jakarta also included the confiscation of a lot of evidence that may lead to the unravelling of a much bigger graft case involving more senior generals.

The raid was first intended to gather evidence for the agency’s ongoing investigation into the Rp 200 billion (US$21.2 million) procurement of vehicle simulators. The KPK has named Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo as a suspect in the case.

“The raid was not only for the simulator case. A lot of evidence for other graft cases was also collected. The simulator case is just the beginning,” said an official at the Presidential Palace who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Among the cases, according to the official, are those related to public services, such as evidence of illegal fees collected from the process of vehicle transfer ownership, driving license issue and motor-vehicle registration document issue.

Applicants for these services have, until now, been subject to numerous illegal fees in order for their papers to be accepted and processed on time.

These fees are allegedly pooled by cooperatives managed by the police officers to be distributed not only for the welfare of the officers but also for the operation of provincial police.

“Illegal funds from public services are bigger than those from procurement. The police have been increasingly dependent on such a source as money from the detective division is becoming infrequent,” said criminologist and police observer Sr. Comr. (ret.) Bambang Widodo Umar, on Sunday.

“Some high-ranking generals are wary that if the KPK expands its investigation, particularly into the traffic police division and cooperatives, many of them will be dragged into it. That’s why they fight back with all necessary means to undermine the KPK,” he said.

Efforts by the police to undermine the KPK are all too obvious.

After an intensive investigation into Djoko over alleged graft at the traffic police division, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo ordered 20 of its officers assigned to the KPK to immediately return to the force late last month.

Most of the officers are involved in investigating Djoko’s case.

Five of the officers turned down the order and decided to become permanent investigators with the KPK, while the remaining 15 returned only to be posted in unimportant jobs. Timur sent several officers on Thursday to the KPK headquarters to make, if necessary by force, all of the five officers return. KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqaddas turned down the request.

According to the official at the Presidential Palace, Timur may have led a meeting of high-ranking generals on Thursday for the arrest of KPK investigator Comr. Novel Baswedan, a police officer assigned to the KPK. He is not however, among the summoned 20 officers.

Novel is a leading investigator in the Djoko case, but is not the architect of the investigation. A group of KPK investigators from the State Development Comptroller (BPKP) are the initiators for the further development of the case.

The meeting to arrest Novel was also attended by National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Sutarman and Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Gunawan.

Budi and Djoko are among several high-ranking police generals allegedly with “fat bank accounts”, in which the money sources are deemed dubious, according to reports by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK).

Several days prior to the meeting, Sutarman had closely coordinated with the Bengkulu Police over the case that would be used to drag Novel, according to an officer.

Sutarman denied the meeting attended by Timur was organized to engineer the Novel case. “The National Police chief is not aware of the Novel case or our plan to arrest him [late on Friday],” said Sutarman on Saturday.

National Police spokesmen Insp. Gen. Suhardi Alius and Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar turned down The Jakarta Post’s request for a statement.

The official at the Presidential Palace also said that the KPK was planning to expand its investigation beyond the Djoko case, and that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was aware of the plan and the impact it may have on the police.

“The President has already known of the KPK’s plan to expand its investigation into the police force. But I still don’t know why he remained silent over Friday’s incident,” said the official.

Generals in the showdown:

Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo: JP/R. Berto Wedhatama
JP/R. Berto Wedhatama

Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo

Birth date: 10 Jan. 10, 1956 (to retire in 2014)
Police academy class: 1978
Role: He allegedly knows of the irregularities in the simulator case (currently being investigated by the KPK), as well as the existence of off-budget accounts used to pool funds from illicit sources. Timur also allegedly led a meeting on Thursday to cordon the KPK headquarters late on Friday in an effort to forcibly arrest KPK investigator Comr. Novel Baswedan.

JP/P.J Leo
JP/P.J Leo

Deputy police chief Comr. Gen. Nanan Sukarna

Birth: July 30, 1955 (to retire in 2013)
Police academy class: 1978
Role: Nanan is the coordinator of all procurements at the National Police. He may have ordered the police to cordon the KPK headquarters late on Friday in an attempt to arrest Novel. Nanan’s previous post as chief of the general supervision inspectorate between 2010 and 2011 also provided him the access and supervisory authority over all procurement process.

JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Sutarman

Birth: Oct. 5, 1957 (to retire in 2015)
Police academy class: 1981
Role: He spearheaded police resistance against KPK raids into the traffic police headquarters in late July. He also speaks blatantly against KPK’s graft investigation into the police.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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