By: Moch. Irfandi)*
“The novel is us and we are the KPK who will never stop to fight against corruption. WE NOVEL AND WE ARE NOT FEAR.”
The harsh water to Novel’s face, however, shows how much more brutal the terror is against the KPK-and of course to Novel. Until now, since rowdy “lizard versus crocodile volume 2 in October 2012, several times Novel has been intimidated and attempted to be harmed. This time, when the KPK is investigating a case of alleged corruption giant procurement project of electronic ID card, the attack was carried out when Novel walked home from dawn prayers assembled In a mosque not far from his home.
Case investigations involving the Chairman of the People’s Legislative Assembly, Setya Novanto, took place in the Novel-led task force. So far, the KPK has charged four people in cases that cost the state Rp2.3 trillion. Former Interior Ministry officials Irman and Sugiharto are in trial. Since yesterday, at the request of KPK, Setya has also been prevented from traveling abroad.
Indeed, it remains to be seen whether the attack on Novel, which occurred shortly after the prevailing status of preventions for Setya, has nothing to do with the case of e-ID cards. But it is hard to believe that, as it has been, just a coincidence.
Until the police investigation finds its findings, one thing that must also be ensured is that a similar incident should not pass without anyone being held accountable. As the KPK is being targeted by a barrage of efforts to weaken it, from the outside and even from within, the omission of what happened to Novel-as well as other investigators-will only be bad for the KPK. And of course against efforts to eradicate corruption.
What is obviously needed nowadays is the stronger conviction and determination that corruption is an extraordinary crime that its handling should not be perfunctory. Anyone who wants this country to run with clean apparatus and officials, and away from the practice of prostitution and cronyism, cannot help but follow the view that the country’s biggest enemy is corrupt.
The atrocity against the senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Novel Baswedan should be condemned. But, more than that, this recurrent terror should not only be investigated until the perpetrators and masterminds are revealed. Determination in the effort to eradicate corruption must also be confirmed again.
)* The author is CIDISS contributor
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