National Police Publish Sketch Of Novel’s Attacker

Chief of the Indonesian National Police General Tito Karnavian shows the sketch of the alleged assailant of KPK Investigator Novel Baswedan during a press conference at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Monday (31/7). (Photo by: Presidential Secretariat)

President Joko ‘Widodo’ Widodo has instructed Chief of the Indonesian National Police General Tito Karnavian to immediately finish the acid attack against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan.

“The President has instructed the police to finish the case as soon as possible. We have also told him steps that we have made. In principle, we want to finish the case immediately. Sometimes, however, we face hurdles,” Tito said at the Merdeka Palace on Monday (31/7) after meeting with the President.

On that occasion, Tito also released a sketch of the alleged assailant who threw acid at Novel Baswedan. The sketch was made based on information gathered from the witnesses.

“We cooperate with the Australian Federal Police personnel. Afterwards, we reconstructed the sketch of the perpetrator. We haven’t published it because we did it only around two days ago,” Tito said.

Tito also said that the police had obtained information from 59 witnesses and the police had also detained at least five people. In addition, the police had also checked around 50 CCTVs within the radius of 1 kilometer from the crime site and had also come to more than 100 chemical stores that sell H2SO4, which is used to attack Novel.

Among witnesses questioned by the police, Tito said, the police have not found those who see or recognize the faces of the attackers.

“We have not found such witnesses. There were only two ladies when they returned from the mosque,” Tito said.

However, Tito admitted that the police had found a quite important witness, but they wish to remain anonymous for security reasons.

“He saw the incident around five minutes before it happened. He saw a man standing near the mosque (where Novel lives), who looked suspicious. He was allegedly the rider of motorcycle used in the attact,” Tito said.

However, Tito ensured that there are no police general implicated in the attack just like what has been reported lately.

“There no police general involved in the attack because based on the information of three police general, they have no connection with the attack. After we questioned them, their alibis are detailed, from hour to hour, from minute to minute. So I suppose even a great film director would find difficulties creating such alibi-alibi,” Tito said.

The police, Tito added, had also reported the development of this case to the KPK.

“We want that KPK personnel can also join us to form a joint team of the police, including the National Police and the Jakarta Regional Police, either the investigation team or the analysis team, and we will be open for that. We have conveyed the offer since 16 June,” Tito said.

As previously reported, Novel Baswedan was attack by acid by two people riding motorcycle near his house on 11 April 2017 after he performed a morning prayer at Al-Ihsan mosque near his house. As a result of the incident, Novel’s left eye was damaged, forcing him to undergo a treatment at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) since 12 April 2017.  (BPMI Setpres/ES) (EP/YM/Naster)