South Jakarta Court Holds Novel`s Pretrial Hearing on Monday

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The South Jakarta District Court will hold Monday a pretrial hearing of the arrest and detainment of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan by the police.

The hearing will center on the alleged administrative violation in Novel’s arrest early on Friday, May 1, 2015, by personnel of the National Police detective department (Bareskrim) as lodged by Novel’s side.

“I hope this can prove investigators’ wrongful acts and violation against the criminal code,” Novel told Tempo via short message on Sunday, May 24, 2015. Novel filed his pretrial motion on Monday, May 4, 2015.

Bahrain, one of Novel’s lawyers, said the arrest was laden with administrative errors, among them evident in the mismatch between the article the police used to charge Novel with and the one mentioned in Novel’s arrest order.

Muji Kartika Rahayu, also Novel’s lawyer, said Bareskrim chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso issued an order on April 20, 2014 that gave “the green light” to Bareskrim investigators to nab Novel—whereas the basis for the arrest of a suspect should have been in the form of an investigation warrant.

National Police HQ spokesman Brig. Gen. Agus Rianto, meanwhile, said the police were ready to follow the pretrial hearing. “We’ve prepared ourselves to attend the hearing,” he said via short message on Sunday, May 24, 2015. 

MUHAMAD RIZKI