"I will call for conducting a re-evaluation. Why? It is because the prosecutors decided on the jail term demand based on facts found during the trial. We will later balance it (the demand) with the verdict of the court," Burhanuddin remarked during a hearing with Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) at the Parliament Building, Senayan, here on Monday.
If the prosecutors' demand is not aligned with the judge's verdict in court, Burhanuddin believes there would have been ”something” in the prosecutors’ demand regarding the Baswedan case.
Furthermore, Burhanuddin ensured that an evaluation will be conducted on the prosecutors' demand for a one-year jail term for the two defendants, whose attack had caused serious injury to the KPK investigator’s eyes.
"However, later, if a balance is achieved, then it means the prosecutor's consideration was included in the judge's deliberation," he pointed out.
Related news: Year-long jail demand for Baswedan's attackers makes no sense: Syarif
Related news: KPK lauds award bestowed by Malaysia on Novel Baswedan
During the court hearing on June 11, 2020, prosecutors of the North Jakarta Public Prosecutors' Office demanded a year-long imprisonment each for defendants -- Ronny Bugis and Rahmat Kadir Mahulette – the two active cops that hurled acid on Baswedan.
"The burdensome aspects are the fact that the defendant has tarnished the (image) of the Indonesian Police (Polri) institution. Matters that are alleviating are that he has never been convicted before, has admitted to the act, has been cooperative, and has served as a member of the National Police for 10 years," North Jakarta Prosecutor Ahmad Fatoni remarked while reading out the demand for the two defendants.
The prosecutors demanded a mere year-long jail term since the defendants had accidentally splashed acid into Baswedan's eyes, when in fact, they had intended to pour it on his body as a way of teaching him a lesson.
In the police's custody in December 2019, Ronny Bugis, one of the defendants, came clean on his dislike for Baswedan based on the belief that he is a traitor.
Baswedan, a retired police officer, has worked for the anti-graft agency since 2007 and was entrusted with investigating major corruption cases, including those allegedly involving several legislators and high-ranking police officers. Since then, he had been frequently terrorized and attacked.
The KPK senior investigator was attacked while heading home after performing Fajr, or the Dawn prayer, at a mosque nearby when two motorcyclists hurled acid on his face that caused injuries to his eyes, especially the left eye, on April 11, 2017.
The public prosecutors' year-long demand created a furor, especially on social media, as nitizens drew a parallel between the court and a theatrical stage.
Related news: Novel Baswedan receives anti-corruption award from Malaysia's PIACCF
Related news: Novel Baswedan faces barrage of 56 questions from Police
Translator: Abdu Faisal, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
