REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG - The head of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Abraham Samad, said there were efforts being made by some to weaken the institution systematically. "Efforts to weaken KPK have been made systematically in various forms, including through terror, such as the one happening last night when several police officers tried to pick up one of the KPK investigators," he said on Saturday.

Abraham added that the KPK was besieged on Friday night when several police officers sought to forcibly remove KPK investigator police commissioner Novel Baswedan. "The situation at KPK last night was not conducive for idealistic KPK investigators," he said.

Abraham said he had reported efforts to weaken KPK to the minister/state secretary and the coordinating minister for political and security affairs. He added that the KPK would protect its investigators, who are facing physical and psychological threats and pressures.

"We will give maximum protection to them and their families," he said. 

The incident on Friday night occurred after the KPK grilled Inspector General Djoko Susilo, who had been named a suspect in a corruption case, that morning. Meanwhile, deputy minister of justice and human rights Denny Indrayana said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would make a statement with regard to the dispute between the KPK and the police.

"Perhaps he would do it in one or two days` time," he said.

The police have denied that they had criminalized KPK. "The police are one of the institutions that develop KPK. So, if we are trying to carry out law enforcement it must not be considered criminalizing," the chief of the National Police Crime Investigation Department, Commissioner General Sutarman, said here on Saturday.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika