Jokowi's Way of Handling KPK-Police Conflict Appreciated

  Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Fadli Zon said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has taken the right step in forming an independent team to help end the  conflicts between police and the corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

        "I think the president is right to seek advice from law experts and then formed an independent team to seek an end to the conflict," Fadlo said here on Monday.

        On Sunday night President Jokowi invited law experts including former police chief and former KPK chairman to ask their opinion to to end the conflict.

        The conflict began when KPK named police Comr. Gen.Budi Gunawan a corruption suspect.

        The KPK's decision came all of a sudden  after the president named Budi candidate to replace police chief Gen. Sutyarman  and a day before the parliament held the standard procedure of fit and proper test for the candidate.  
    In what looked like a retaliation, police named Bambang Widjajanto a suspect and arrested him on charge of false testimony  at a Constitution Court investigating a dispute over regional election  in Kotawarining, Kalimantan in 2010.

         Fadli said the team needs to have a working schedule to settle the the problem immediately.

        "Legal cases  have to be settled legally. No compromise unless there is no legal basis<' he added.  
   He said he hoped the conflict between the two law enforcement agencies  could be ended immediately.

        "Legal process has been in progress . What is important is saving the police and KPK institutions," he said.

        "No one is immune in this republic. Our constitution says all citizens are equal before the law. What is important is there must not be politicization  and criminalization," he added.

        He said there must legal basis for any decision whatsoever and decision must not be made on pressure to order stoppage of legal investigation (SP3).

         There have been call to issue SP3 for the case involving Bambang Widjajanto. There was even suggestion to give immunity for KPK commissioners to protect them from criminalization .

         The independent team is made up of former Constitutional Court chief justice  Jimly Asshidique, former deputy police chief Comr.Gen.(retired)  Oegroseno, former deputy chairmen of KPK Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean  and Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, former expert staff of police chief Bambang Widodo Umar, international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana,  and former chairman of  Muhammadiyah Syafii Maarif. (WDY)