Novel Baswedan Says His Attackers Better Off Released

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan stated that he did not have high hopes for the trial of the acid attack case against him that will be held today, July 16.

Novel said it would be better should the panel of judges release his alleged attackers, Rahmat Kadir and Ronny Bugis.

“If there is no sufficient evidence of qualification, they (defendants) must be freed. Do not let the image of the law be tarnished further due to many irregularities in this legal process,” said Novel in a short message on Wednesday, July 15.

The anti-graft body investigator added that the trial should not force facts and present fabricated proofs. Instead, trials must discover truths, not the other way around.

“[The trial must] not aim to make a justification on a basis of interest that there is a perpetrator,” he remarked.

Novel and his legal team have many times expressed doubts about the trial process considering many pieces of evidence and witnesses were not presented at the sessions. He even doubted that the two alleged attackers are the real perpetrators.

Therefore, Novel Baswedan said he was not surprised by the light charges demanded by the prosecutor against Ronny Bugis and Rahmat Kadir Mahulette.

Previously reported, the prosecutor demanded both one-year imprisonment. The North Jakarta District Court was scheduled to read the verdict on Friday, July 17.

Read also: Novel Baswedan Case; Staff Says Jokowi Trusts Legal Institution

M ROSSENO AJI