The Mystery Puppeteer Of Novel Baswedan's Watering

JAKARTA - It took 989 days since 11 April 2017 for the police to announce that they had arrested two perpetrators of the hard water sprinkling case against Novel Baswedan, who is a senior investigator at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The two perpetrators are RM and RB who are active police officers. It is not yet known the exact reason the two of them attacked Novel, who at that time was returning from his dawn prayers from the mosque near his house in Kelapa Gading area, North Jakarta. But is it true, only the two of them are involved without intellectual actors?

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana and the Novel Baswedan advocacy team are not sure about this. Strictly speaking, they asked the police to continue investigating this case even though they arrested the two perpetrators on Friday, December 27 yesterday. The goal is to make this case even brighter.

Moreover, from the results of the joint fact-finding team (TGPF) formed by the Police, it was stated that this attack was carried out because it was related to Novel's job as a senior investigator at the KPK. Not like what was conveyed by the Chairperson of the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) Presidium, Neta S Pane, who said that the watering was based on the perpetrator's personal revenge motive.

"The police must immediately reveal the generals and other intellectual actors involved in the watering case and not stop the field actors," said Kurnia in a written statement received by VOI, Saturday, December 28.

According to Kurnia, the KPK handles major cases in accordance with the KPK Law. So, it is impossible for the perpetrator to stop at these two people.

He added that the two people who had currently been arrested had to be investigated whether they were related to the cases handled by Novel or the KPK. Moreover, when he experienced the watering, Novel was currently serving as the Head of the Task Force for the e-KTP corruption mega case that dragged the names of big politicians in Senayan.

In addition to the e-KTP case which cost the state Rp. 2.3 trillion, at that time Novel was also investigating several cases such as the case of the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) Akil Mochtar, the case of the former Secretary General MA Nurhadi, the corruption case of the former Buol Regent, Amran Batalipu, and the corruption case of Wisma Atlet.

Not only that, it was known that at that time Novel and his team were investigating the red book or financial transaction record book of CV Sumber Laut Perkasa that belonged to Basuki Hariman. This book is one of the evidences in the corruption case that ensnared a meat entrepreneur and his subordinates, Ng Fenny in the bribery case of the Constitutional Court judge Patrialis Akbar.

In this book, there is also a record of cash flows to police officers before the destruction, which is allegedly also carried out by KPK investigators from the police institution.

Returning to the matter of the Police General, as a victim, Novel has often said that there is a big person behind the case. Quoted from Tempo.co, Novel said that two police investigators came to his residence in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta shortly after he returned from Singapore on February 22, 2017.

Their intention, said Novel, would be to extract information from him regarding the hard water sprinkling incident. However, the plan was canceled because the investigation asked about the involvement of the general behind the case.

Not only that, this senior KPK investigator also claims to have collected all the information that strengthens the alleged involvement of a Police General in an attempt to obscure the evidence of the case of sprinkling hard water on him.

According to him, this high-ranking officer is still active at the National Police Headquarters and has allegedly played a role in a series of terror against other KPK investigators over the past few years.

"This evidence is there. It is not fake. I am ready to give everything, once again, everything, to the fact-finding team when it is formed," said Novel on August 2, 2017.

The Chairman of Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament Herman Herry also conveyed a request to investigate this case, including who the intellectual actors were. Through his written statement, he said that the DPR RI Commission III would hold a meeting with the National Police Chief in the next session. The goal is that the DPR can supervise the investigation of this case.

"I will propose to my colleagues in Commission III of the DPR RI to hold a meeting with the Chief of Police for the next session. This is to obtain complete and comprehensive information from the police and to guard so that the investigation of this case can be carried out thoroughly," Herman said, Saturday. , 28 December.

Strictly speaking, this DPR member from the PDIP faction said that the legal process is in the realm of the police. However, he reminded the police to act in a professional manner. Herman also asked the KPK and the police to remain solid going forward in eradicating corruption.

"Apart from the profile of the alleged perpetrator of the attack, Novel Baswedan, who is an active member of the National Police, I hope that the coordination of law enforcement officials in combating corruption will not be disturbed," he said.

As previously reported, Novel was attacked on April 11, 2017 while walking towards his residence, after performing the Fajr prayer at the Al Ihsan Mosque, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. As a result of the pouring of hard water, Novel's eyes were badly injured. He had eye surgery in Singapore.

After the attack, various attempts were made to catch the sprinkler. However, at that time the police admitted that it was difficult to catch the perpetrator or mastermind behind the attack on Novel Baswedan. The National Police even formed a Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) to reveal the perpetrators of the sprinkling of hard water.

Not only that, they also had time to open a hotline so that people who knew about the attack could report to the police. Apart from that, the police also distributed sketches of the faces of the alleged perpetrators of the Novel Baswedan attack.