TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Novel Baswedan, a former investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), suspected that the KPK displays lack of commitment in finding graft fugitive Harun Masiku. Novel outlined a number of his reasons.

"I believe the search for Harun Masiku will not be carried out, unless in only a modest way," Novel said on his Twitter account on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

Novel explained three reasons why he and other victims of the civic knowledge test (TWK) did not arrest Harun while serving at the anti-graft body. First, during the sting operation against Harun, his team was intimidated by certain parties. "At that time, Firli [KPK chairman] and others stood silent," he recalled.

Secondly, the team who launched the raid was barred from conducting investigations. At present, some members of the team were expelled from the KPK through TWK as they were deemed uncontrollable. "This case allegedly involves certain party officials," Novel added.

Thirdly, the KPK imposed sanctions on the team.

Novel also recalled that in 2020, his team managed to catch two fugitives, including former secretary-general of the Supreme Court Nurhadi. The arrest, he argued, required earnestness and hard work, including searching a number of places.

Instead of looking for Harun, "the KPK asked the public to search [the fugitive] at their own expense," Novel Baswedan tweeted.

On Monday, May 23, 2022, the KPK called on the public who know about the whereabouts of Harun Masiku to file a report to the agency in private. "We continue to call for the public's participation, that anyone who really knows HM's whereabouts to inform the KPK," said the agency's acting spokesman Ali Fikri

M ROSSENO AJI

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