It is difficult not to think that the arrest of Widjojanto by the Police`s Crime Investigation Department was not in retaliation for KPK`s move naming Commissioner General Budi Gunawan in a corruption case earlier.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Jokowi administration should help solve issues between the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), according to Deputy Chairman of the Commission I of the House of Representatives Tantowi Yahya.

Conflicts between the police and KPK arose during the early days of the Jokowi administration; so, the President should help solve their problem, Tantowi Yahya, a member of the Golkar Party, said here Friday.

He said it is difficult not to think that the arrest of Bambang Widjojanto (BW), deputy chairman of KPK, by the Polices Crime Investigation Department was not in retaliation for KPKs move naming Commissioner General Budi Gunawan in a corruption case earlier.

Despite the polices explanation that Widjojanto was arrested for questioning, the public will suspect it was a retaliatory step against KPKs action.

"It is because the arrest happened not long after KPK named Com. Gen. Budi Gunawan in a graft case," Tantowi Yahya noted.

KPK named Gunawan a suspect just a few days after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced him as the sole candidate for national police chief.

Meanwhile, police affairs observer Bambang Widodo Umar has urged the police as a law enforcement institution to be independent.

"I hope the National Police will have an independent stance, and will not be easily politicized by any political group while dealing with criminal cases," he said in a short text message.

Umar has been of the view that the arrest was politically motivated.

"There is a possibility that BWs arrest was politically motivated," he pointed out.

The arrest of the KPK leader was meant to weaken the anti-corruption body, which is handling legal processes in Gunawan case. At the same time, he believes any outside "intervention" in the National Police can weaken the police.

"Yes, it tends to weaken both KPK and the Polri (national police)," he said.

Earlier, the police claimed to possess three pieces of strong evidence to arrest Bambang Widjojanto.

Chief of the Public Relations Division at the National Police Headquarters Insp. Gen. Ronny Sompie said the evidences included documents, witnesses testimonies, and expert opinions.

Sompie noted Widjojanto was not arrested but questioned in a case concerning Kotawaringin Barats 2010 regional legislative election in Central Kalimantan.

He stated that the police received a report about Widjojantos role only on Jan. 15, and it has been corroborated by expert opinions and documents.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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