His child or anyone in the school did not know about the arrest."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesia Police (Polri) said they arrested deputy chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Bambang Widjojanto (BW) while he was returning home after dropping his child to school in Depok, West Java, on Friday.

It is not true that "BW was arrested while he was taking his child to school," head of the public information of the National Police Headquarters Public Relations Division Senior Commissioner Rikwanto said.

He noted that the arrest happened while BW was returning home after dropping his child to school; and some one kilometer away from the school.

"His child or anyone in the school did not know about the arrest," he added.

Rikwanto was responding to rumors that BW was arrested while he was taking his child to school at around 7.30 a.m.

Head of the National Polices public relations division Inspector General Ronny F Sompie reiterated that the arrest of the anti-graft agency commissioner had been done without force.

"The arrest was done humanely. He (BW) welcomed it. No inhuman action had been taken. After all, he is a state official," he remarked.

BW has been arrested for allegedly prompting witnesses to give false testimony at a Constitutional Court session related to a dispute over the election of the head of Kotawaringin district, Central Kalimantan, in July 2010.

A case against BW was made based on a report (number: LP/67/I/2015/Bareskrim, dated January 15, 2015) by House Commission III member from the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle Sugianto Sabran.

Police observer Bambang Widodo Umar considers BWs arrest politically motivated.

He hoped the police will remain independent as a law enforcement agency. "I hope the police will remain independent and will not be easily politicized by the vested interests of certain groups," he remarked.

According to him, a third party has played a role in BWs arrest, which followed KPKs recent decision naming national police chief candidate Commissioner General Budi Gunawan in a corruption case.

"It seems it (arrest) has been aimed at weakening KPK as well as the police," he added.

(Reporting by Taufik Ridwan, Anita Permata Dewi/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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