"The KPK supports the presidents suggestion that the legal case of Novel should be resolved without any conditions," Agus said at the KPK building here on Wednesday.
Agus made the remark in response to rumors that the legal case concerning him would be closed if he is moved from his assignment at the KPK to a state-owned company.
Novels lawyers from the Anti-Criminalization Advocacy Team (TAKTIS) have called for the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) immediately stopping proceedings in Novels case, not as a barter condition.
"We are not the one who can settle the (Novels) case. It is the court and the Attorney Generals Office," Agus said without explaining if and how KPK will support Novel.
KPK Spokesman Yuyuk Andriati said Novel has also rejected any move to settle his legal case as a barter deal (that is, his case being closed only if he is prepared to leave the KPK and move to a state company).
"Novel will not be removed (from KPK). As of now, he is still a KPK investigator. There is an offer of barter but the issue is still being discussed. Novel has expressed his view to reject such an offer (of being moved from the KPK)," Yuyuk said on Tuesday.
After all, a KPK investigator can be discharged only if he or she violates the code of ethics.
"Discharging an employee should be based on some regulation. For example, it can be done only if he or she violates the code of ethics or employee disciplines," Yuyuk added.
TAKTIS Coordinator Dadang Trisasongko said the case against Novel is a form of criminalization committed by the law enforcers.
His opinion was strengthened by the recommendation of the Indonesian Ombudsman body which has found many administrative irregularities in the handling of Novels case.
Now, the issue of indictment of Novel remains with the AGO because the attorney generals office withdrew its decision to indict from the court on February 3, 2016. So, Novels legal fate is fully in the hands of the AGO. It will depend on whether Attorney General HM Prasetyo will continue with the case or not.
Novel was previously scheduled to stand trial on February 16 at the Bengkulu district court on charges of cruel treatment of detainees charged with stealing bird nests in Bengkulu in 2004, causing the death of a suspect. But the indictment was withdrawn by the AGO for improvement.
The Novel case will become outdated on February 18, 2016 since 12 years would have passed on that date.
He was accused of being responsible for the killing of a thief in Bengkulu in 2004 when he headed the Bengkulu city polices detective unit. The thief had allegedly stolen bird nests.
In February 2004, several policemen had arrested six suspects in a case involving the theft of a birds nest. One of the suspects was shot dead at Panjang Ujung Beach of Bengkulu city.
Following the incident, a resident named Yogi Hariyanto filed a case against Novel with the police on February 18, 2004.
On October 5, 2012, the Bengkulu provincial polices investigators, along with several police personnel from the Bengkulu and Jakarta metropolitan police, arrived at the KPK building to arrest Novel Baswedan.
At the time, Novel was handling the polices driving simulator procurement case for the 2011 budget.
The KPK commissioners denied the allegation that Novel was involved in the killing.
Instead, according to the anti-graft body, Novel accepted full responsibility for his mens actions that resulted in the death of the birds nest thief, and the KPKs Honorary Ethic Council had even grilled and reprimanded him.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
