Police Explain The Reason When The Reconstruction Of The Novel Baswedan Case Was Done Early

JAKARTA - The police have completed the reconstruction of the case of sprinkling the chemical liquid against Novel Baswedan. This reconstruction is to complete the case files that are deemed incomplete by the Public Prosecutor (JPU).

This reconstruction raises questions because it was carried out early in the morning, Friday, February 7, at 03.00-06.00 WIB. Generally, reconstruction is done when the sun is shining.

Karo Penmas Div of Public Relations of the National Police, Brigadier General Argo Yuwono, said that there were two reasons for the reenactment of the scene that took place on Friday, February 7, early this morning. First, to be in line with actual events and secondly to safeguard the situation at the reconstruction site.

"For example, it is done during the day and many people will be disturbed," said Argo in Jakarta, Friday, February 7.

Meanwhile, a few moments earlier, the Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Yusri Yunus, said that investigators had considered the time to reconstruct the scene.

"We try to have the same time, then how will the incident go," said Yusri.

University of Indonesia criminologist Ferdinand Andi Lolo said reconstruction could be carried out at any time. Investigators can use discretion on the basis of considerations of the situation and conditions at the site.

"Reconstruction can be carried out at any time according to the needs of the investigation and based on the investigator's discretion because it considers the dynamics of the field," he said.

In the Novel case, he continued, investigators could recreate the scene as closely as possible with the actual incident. With the hope of finding facts that had been missed during the investigation of the suspects.

"Especially if the incident is dark, it needs to be reconstructed in a situation as realistic as possible to clarify the facts that have not been fully explored during the examination of witnesses or suspects," said Ferdinand.

For your information, this case involved two suspects, namely RM and RB. Currently, they are being held at the Bareskrim Detention Center for the Police. They have been detained for 20 days since 27 December. While waiting for the files to be deemed complete by the prosecutor's office, their detention periods will be extended for another 40 days.

The suspect in the case of pouring hard water on Novel was revealed at the end of December. One of the suspects stated that the hard water sprinkling was done because Novel was considered a traitor. 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 splash 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.