'RIVALRY' BETWEEN ANTI-GRAFT BODY AND POLICE CONTINUING

By Andi Abdussalam

    Jakarta, Sept 29 (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) reported chief detective, Commissioner General Susno Duaji, to police on Monday over an alleged non procedural investigation on KPK leaders.

        The Police's Criminal Investigation Department will at the same time begin this week to grill two remaining KPK deputies as witnesses over an alleged power abuse of their fellow deputies.

        "Yes, (we have been summoned) as witnesses in the alleged power abuse case," KPK deputy chairman M Jasin said when asked to confirm the police summons on Monday.

        On the other hand, lawyers of Bibit Samad and Chandra Hamzah, two KPK deputies who have been named suspects, on Monday filed a formal complaint against Susno Duaji, with the national police's inspectorate for general supervision with regard to his decision to name the two KPK vice chairmen suspects.

        The KPK lawyers said Susno had violated a government regulation on police discipline.

        KPK deputies Bibit Samad and Chandra Hamzah have been named suspects by police over an alleged abuse of authority with regard to the issuance of a travel ban on businessman Anggoro Widjojo and also the issuance of a travel ban and later its revocation for businessman Djoko Tjandra.

        Over the investigation of its deputies, the KPK accused Duaji of carrying out nonprocedural examinations, and the police had thus acted against the two KPK vice chairmen on trumped-up charges.

        Before the rivalry between the KPK and the police came up to the surface, the KPK had recently obtained initial proof Duaji had used his power to make Bank Century return a huge amount of deposited funds to their owner unlawfully.

        Amids calls by civil society groups that Duaji should be suspended from his post, Duaji's Investigation Department is questioning this week as witnesses two remaining KPK deputies, M Jasin and Haryono Umar.

        Jasin said he and Haryono Umar would be questioned on Thursday as witnesses for the case of suspended KPK deputy chiefs Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M Hamzah who had been named suspects.

        The police have also summoned four KPK investigators, two of them to be grilled on Tuesday and two others on Wednesday. KPK chairman Antasari Azhar has been suspended after being named a suspect in a murder.

        Several civil society groups consider the police investigation on the KPK leaders nonprocedural. They think the police have acted against the two KPK vice chairmen on trumped-up charges.

        Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nurwahid supported the demand of various civil society groups for the suspension of the National Police's chief detective, Susno Duaji.

        "I think it is an appropriate thing to consider suspending Duaji so that he can concentrate on his own legal case," the MPR chairman said after a get-together with media editors on Monday.

        Senior lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution who is also a presidential adviser recently asked National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri to suspend police chief intelligence to wipe out the impression of a rivalry between KPK and Police.

        "I said it would be better if the police chief suspends Susno Duaji," Buyung said after meeting a number of chief editors on Friday.

        According to Nurwahid, Duaji's suspension is considered necessary because the KPK has recently obtained initial proof he had used his power to make Bank Century return a huge amount of deposited funds to their owner unlawfully.

        The MPR chairman said that if the legal case of the police chief detective could be cleared, his legal problem was settled, and he could then be reinstated in his post.

        Nurwahid also hoped that the legal process now being pursued by the Criminal Investigation Department against Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah would be freed from the impression of conflict of interest between the two law enforcement institutions.

        Nurwahid said if a conflict of interest was marring the legal process against the two KPK leaders, law enforcement against corruption in the country would suffer a setback.

        Therefore, Vice President Jusuf Kalla ordered the national police chief on Monday to speed up the legal process against the two KPK deputy chairmen to avoid the impressions of rivalry between the police and the KPK.

        "The right solution (to the problem) is processing their (Chandra and Bibit's) case immediately and resolutely," he told reporters after receiving National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri.

        Kalla said if there was indeed strong evidence to show they were guilty, their case must be legally processed immediately but if no proof was found, the case must be closed.

        The vice president said it seemed a problem had lately developed in the relations between the police and the KPK while actually the cases were separate.

        In the meantime, anti-graft program director of the Nahdlatul Ulama National Headquarters (PBNU) Syaiful Bahri Anshori called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to help solve the disharmony between the KPK and the National Police.

        "I appeal to all sides of this nation, both the government, public leaders, non-governmental organizations, academicians, and young activists, to get together in mobilizing strength and power against injustice and hypocrisy, for good governance and free the people from corruption," he said.***1*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/A/O001) (T.A014/A/A014/A/O001) 29-09-2009 10:45:37