"KPK does not need permit from police to investigate the evidence."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) began investigation on Tuesday of goods held as evidence of alleged corruption in the procurement of police`s driving simulators.

The evidence was confiscated from the police`s traffic corps late last month but the anti graft agency was not allowed to bring it to KPK by police.

The evidence then was kept in a container behind the KPK`s office with keys held by both police and KPK.

"KPK does not need permit from police to investigate the evidence," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said on Tuesday.

This afternoon KPK moved the evidence from the container to a car to be brought to the KPK office.

KPK already named four suspects in the US$197 billion corruption case including two police generals -- former chief of the police`s traffic corp Ins. Gen. Djoko Susilo and his deputy Brig. Gen Didik Purnomo, -- and to civilians.

As if not to be left behind police named five suspects and even had arrested them .

Three of the police suspects are also in the list of suspects of KPK but but not including KPK`s main suspect Ins. Gen. Djoko Susilo.

The police`s move triggered controversy over who of the two agencies have the right to handle the case.

A law on KPK rules that other law enforcing agencies may not interfere in case being handled by KPK .

KPK is even given by the law the power to take over cases from other law enforcing agencies including police.

Police, however, had said they would not hand over the suspects to KPK despite strong calls including from the country`s lawmakers and legal experts on police to move aside.

Police chief detective Comr. Gen Sutarman said police would continue to carry out their own investigations.

President Susilo Bamgbang Yudhoyono has been urged to step in and told police to stay away , but the president said he would not interfere.

A police observer said the police`s move raised public suspicion that they wanted to prevent more officers being dragged into the case.

Police have failed in their investigation of corruption cases especially when police officers were involved, they said.

Bambang Widodo Umra, an observer on police issue was quoted as saying markup and bribery inside police has always been the norm.
(Uu.AS/H-ASG/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012