Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) is currently in the midst of one of its biggest investigations ever after it accused dozens of high-level politicians of taking part in a scheme to rob the state of $170 million worth of misappropriated funds from the program for the country’s new electronic identity cards (e-KTP).
There is not yet any evidence to establish a connection between that case and the despicable early morning attack on KPK senior investigator Novel Baswedan, who is head of the task force overseeing the e-KTP case, but obviously many have inferred one.
According to his wife Emil, Novel was attacked by two men on a motorcycle after he had finished with his morning prayers at a mosque near his home in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. The men splashed his face with hydrochloric acid.
Police say Novel suffered burns to his face and other injuries, including a swollen eyelid and bruising that was caused after he hit a tree trying to escape the attack. He is currently recovering at Mitra Keluarga Hospital, where members of his family, including his cousin and gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedan, have gone to be with him.
Busyro Muqoddas, former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief, said that Novel has been targeted in the past for his anti-corruption investigations, including an incident last year in which he was hit by a car. Busyro demanded that President Joko Widodo form a joint team to investigate the attack.
On March 30, Novel alleged that Miryam S. Haryani, a politician from the Hanura party, had been threatened by several politicians not to testify about their involvement in the e-KTP case.
Novel has long faced similar threats and attacks in the line of duty. The National Police arrested Novel in 2012 over an allegation that he shot a thief in 2004 while he was a member of the police force. The arrest came when Novel was heading an investigation into graft allegations against former Traffic Police Chief Inspector General Djoko Susilo, who was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison. In February 2016, the Attorney General dropped charges against Novel over lack of evidence.
In a statement released by the KPK denouncing the attack on Novel, the members of the commission said they would not be intimidated.
We strongly condemn these barbaric acts as a form of terror and part of efforts to weaken the KPK and fight against corruption eradication.
We reiterate that we will not retreat a single step, whatever the cost, because we believe the struggle to eradicate corruption should not stop because of threats, intimidation or attacks.
We asked for prayers from all of our friends to pray for our friend, Novel Baswedan, for his quick recovery so he can return to us.
Novel is one of us and we are the commission that will never cease to fight against corruption.
