KPK Chairman to Accompany Police to Singapore to Question Injured Novel Baswedan
Jakarta. The head of the country's antigraft agency said on Monday (19/06) that he will accompany police investigators to Singapore to meet with Novel Baswedan, who was attacked by unknown men near his home in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, on April 11.
"I will accompany the [police] team on their trip to Singapore," said Agus Rahardjo, chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Novel, himself a senior KPK investigator, suffered serious burns after the two assailants threw acid on him. Police have been conducting a prolonged investigation into the case, though have made little headway so far.
Novel was immediately flown to Singapore for treatment following the attack, where he underwent eye surgery and is currently in recovery.
The KPK official was investigating a high-profile corruption case surrounding the procurement of electronic identity cards, known as e-KTP, in which dozens of top government officials and lawmakers have been allegedly implicated.
According to Agus, no date has been scheduled for the trip to Singapore.
"In regards to the investigation in Singapore, the decision is not entirely up to KPK. We also depend on the input of the doctors treating Novel," the chairman said.
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said he will send a team to Singapore to talk with Novel and clarify the antigraft investigator's statement to a foreign media outlet, in which he expressed suspicion that a police general might have been involved in the attack on him.
"We will try our best to send a team as soon as possible to Singapore, as we want to ask Novel if his claim is a fact or is merely based on suspicion," Tito said.
In an interview with US-based Time Magazine, published on Time’s website last week, Novel said he received information that a police general was involved in the attack, leading him to believe no progress in the investigation will be made.
"If the involvement [of a police general] is based on rumors, I regret that it surfaced to the public sphere because it will have a negative impact on the image of police," Tito said.
"[Novel's statement] can also give rise to an unfriendly situation between police and KPK, though as leaders we [Agus and Tito] are committed to working together as well as we can."
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