Jokowi Says Alternative Steps Needed to Solve Novel Baswedan Case

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) released a statement implying that there will be alternative steps if police fail to hunt down the suspect responsible for the acid attack against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan.

“We will take other steps if the Indonesian National Police have given up (Jokowi gestured with both hands in the air),” said Jokowi at the State Palace on Tuesday, February 20.

However, the President did not further explain the details regarding the steps the government would take. Jokowi chose not to provide any comments and left the room when journalists tried to confirm whether it is related to the formation of a new fact-finding team.

Read: Police Re-examine Novel Baswedan For Additional Data

and: Cops Desperate to Solve Novel Attack Case Ombudsman Says

President Jokowi still believes in the work done by the police to uncover this long overdue case, while at the same time urges National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian to quickly solve the case.

“I will continue to closely supervise the Police Chief so this case would end up clear and uncover whoever was responsible,” he said. Jokowi also showed his gladness upon Novel’s return to Indonesia and hopes that he would work at the KPK again.

Novel Baswedan had been in Singapore for more than 10 months where he underwent an eye treatment that was injured in the acid attack in April 2017. KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said that the additional surgery Novel underwent can be considered successful and that the doctor who handled his medical procedures showed signs of letting Novel receive outpatient-care before another scheduled surgery in April 2018.

Read: KPK Still Relies on Police to Complete the Novel Baswedan Case

Police immediately investigated the case following the acid attack against Novel Baswedan. Police Chief General Tito had even released a sketch that was believed to be the suspect. However, Jakarta Metro Police revised their statement, saying that the sketch was not the suspect. Police have yet uncovered who the suspect was in the vicious acid attack.

AHMAD FAIZ | DEWI NURITA | CAESAR AKBAR