Novel Baswedan
11 October 2012. Several sources are trying to undermine and weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). One of them is the police. On the evening of Oct. 5, a group of police officers from the Bengkulu and Jakarta police intended to arrest KPK investigator, Commissioner Novel Baswedan, on allegations of unlawfully shooting theft suspects back in 2004. Although their mission failed, many believe that this was a part of a systematic attempt to weaken the anticorruption body. Novel is also the coordinator of the investigation of the Driver’s License Simulator procurement fraud, and a police general was implicated in it. Other attempts to strip the KPK of its powers include the House of Representatives’ plan to revise the KPK law and the rejection of the KPK’s fund request for a better building and facilities. The recent withdrawal of police investigators seconded to KPK by the National Police is also viewed as a move to weaken the powers of KPK. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has stepped in and ordered the police to allow the KPK investigate the high-profile graft case involving former Traffic Corps chief Inspector General Djoko Susilo He also said that the political move to amend the KPK law was inappropriate.
