A senior commissioner from the National Police Headquarters` Legal Division came to the KPK headquarters and told that Budi Gunawan could not come because his case was in pre-trial process.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - National police chief candidate Commissioner General Budi Gunawan (BG) failed to respond to summons issued by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in connection with a graft case on Friday.

"Around 10.30 a.m., a senior commissioner from the National Police Headquarters Legal Division came here, I forgot his name, telling BG could not come because his case was in pre-trial process," the anti-graft bodys head of publication and information Priharsa Nugraha said at the KPK headquarters.

He noted that KPK investigators are studying the reasons and sections that BG followed for handling its summons.

"Investigators are studying whether BGs verbal communication instead of a written notification to inform them that he cannot appear before them was appropriate or not. They are also examining whether it was appropriate for him to skip their summons citing his case was processed for pre-trial," he revealed.

On Monday (Jan 19), the National Police Headquarters applied for pre-trial after KPK named Commissioner General Gunawan suspect. The pre-trial is scheduled for February 2, 2015.

"Investigators state they see no legal basis for a witness to reject a summons citing pre-trial as reason," Priharsa remarked.

He added that KPK can even use force to bring him to them.

"In line with the Code of Criminal Procedures, force can be used if he refuses to come without giving appropriate reasons even after summoned twice. Investigators have that authority," he pointed out.

Until Thursday (Jan 29), KPK summoned 13 witnesses in connection with Budi Gunawans case. However, only one of them responded to them.

President Joko Widodo has decided to postpone the induction of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan after KPK named him suspect in a corruption case. Parliament too had approved his candidacy for national police chief.

Budi Gunawan has been named suspect for his alleged involvement in suspicious transactions when he was heading the career development division at the National Police Headquarters from 2003 to 2006 and handling other positions.

He has been charged with violating several articles in corruption law that carries the maximum punishment of death sentence or imprisonment for four to 20 years and a fine of minimum Rp200 million and maximum Rp1 billion.

Following Budi Gunawans naming as suspect, the police named KPK deputy chairman Widjajanto in a regional election dispute case for allegedly prompting a witness to give a false testimony in a court in 2010, when he was a lawyer.

The conflict between the National Police and KPK has now become a hot legal as well as political issue in the country.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2015