I am convinced and will support the KPK and police efforts to uphold the law ..."
Bandung (ANTARA News) - The National Police (Polri) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as law enforcing bodies must not be intervened by certain interest groups, National Police Commission (Kompolnas) Deputy Chief Tjahjo Kumolo said.

"There must be no intervention from any party into the KPK, police and the prosecutors office as law enforcing bodies. The people must let them do their duties as long as they have legal facts and the requirements for witnesses are met based on regulations in force," Kumolo, who is also the home affairs minister, said here on Saturday night.

Regarding the conflict between the KPK and the Polri with the latest case of the arrest of the KPK investigator, Novel Baswedan, by the police, Kumolo called on the two agencies to take the middle way and to integrate in upholding the law.

"I am convinced and will support the KPK and police efforts to uphold the law, particularly with regard to corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN)," the Kompolnas deputy chief said.

On the strong protest lodged by certain circles on the arrest and detention of Novel Baswedan by force, the minister said Kompolnas will conduct an evaluation on the police performance.

"We will surely have a meeting to evaluate it comprehensively and we hope Kompolnas will contribute matters on supervision and input to the National Police (Polri) leadership," Tjahjo Kumolo said after attending an exposition in Jatinangor, West Java, on Saturday night.

He said that Kompolnas would soon hold a meeting to discuss the conflict between Polri and the KPK.

"We will gather in a place in the Puncak resort area next week. All members of the Kompolnas across the country will be invited to the meeting," he said.

Police have arrested Baswedan because he failed to honor police summons twice over an alleged maltreatment in 2004 of a suspect who later died.

Baswedan was arrested in his house in Kelapa Gading areas, North of Jakarta, at the wee hours on Friday.

Baswedans case had first surfaced in 2012 when a conflict began between the KPK and police over corruption involving the police traffic corp.

He had headed an investigation that had led to the arrest and imprisonment of Police Inspector General Djoko Susilo.

In what looked like retaliation, the police dug up a decade-old case against Baswedan. The case is that he allegedly shot dead a criminal suspect in Bengkulu in 2004.

Baswedan was then Chief of the district police detective division of Bengkulu with the rank of first inspector.

The KPK had refused to let a team of police officers arrest Baswedan in 2012.

According to the KPK, the 2004 case against Baswedan had been closed and he was not directly involved in the maltreatment of the deceased suspect.

Then President Susilo Bambang Judhoyono had to step in to prevent the conflict between the two law enforcement agencies from getting worse.

However, the police continued to pursue the case against Baswedan after the KPK-police conflict flared up after the anti-graft body named Commr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a corruption suspect.

The police had summoned Baswedan for questioning in February 2015, but Baswedan failed to respond to it.

Baswedans lawyer Kanti has said that it was the KPK leaders who did not allow Baswedan to honor the police summons.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has urged the police to be transparent in handling the case of Baswedan.

"The police must be transparent. If he (Baswedan) has not committed a crime, he should be freed. This is very important," Kalla said after meeting with Police Chief Badrodin Haiti at the Police Headquarters on Friday.

The Vice President is of the view that the polices decision to arrest and detain Baswedan is in accordance with investigation procedures.
(Uu.A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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