Roundup: Rivalry still looms among Indonesian legal enforcers

The apparent rivalry between Indonesian police and Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was once again erupted with the arrest of a KPK senior investigator, adding to list of senior KPK officials arrested by police under criminal charges.

The latest arrest conducted by police against Novel Baswedan, a former police who was actively involved in KPK's investigations against corruption cases committed by senior police officers. The arrest against Novel was conducted on Friday, resuming police's postponed arrest against him in 2012.

Novel was alleged to have committed violent act that led to the death of a swallow nest burglar in 2004 when he served as the head of Bengkulu province detective police.

Novel lambasted police's move to arrest him, saying that it was an act of criminalization against him as police conducted several forceful efforts against him before being questioned.

"This is a criminalization, I did not see a good investigation process in place," Novel said on Sunday. He was planning to file an appeal to the court regarding his arrest.

Novel was released from police's custody following a direct order issued by President Joko Widodo to Police Chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti to do so on Friday. The president also urged transparent investigation against Novel be applied and called on the two legal enforcer institutions to be synergic.

Previously police arrested KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto in January due to a past case he committed that had already been annulled by judge panel who presided over the legal proceeding of the case.

Shortly after that, KPK Chairman Abraham Samad was declared a suspect by the police in several cases that led to his resignation. Further police investigations against the two former KPK senior officials were still underway at the moment.

In February President Joko Widodo installed acting chairpersons to lead the government-sanctioned anti-graft agency which encountered vacuum of leadership to run its activities.

Police's maneuvers to declare suspects and arrested KPK senior officials were following KPK's intensive investigations against senior police officers who have enormous amount of bank deposits allegedly obtained from illegal sources.

One of those investigated by KPK was Budi Gunawan, a senior police officer nominated by President Joko Widodo to assume police chief post. KPK declared Budi as a suspect in a corruption case that eventually made him failed to assume the post. Budi is now posted as the deputy to police chief.

During the previous administration periods, the powerful anti- graft agency has been actively carried out its function by arresting high-profile corrupters, investigated them and made them jailed for significant period of times in prisons.

Among the corrupters arrested and investigated by the KPK were police, legislators, senior political party executives, governors, majors and former head of the nation's Constitutional Court (MK). Endi