Jakarta, May 1(Antara) - A leading investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Novel Baswedan was arrested on Friday on charge of maltreatment causing the death of a criminal suspect in Bengkulu more than 10 year earlier.
Police said Novel was arrested after he failed twice to honor police summon for investigations.
Novel case surfaced from the first time in 2012 when conflict began between KPK and police over corruption involving police traffic corp.
He headed the investigation that led to the arrest and imprisonment of police ins. Gen, Djoko Susilo.
In what looked like a retaliation, police brought again to surface a decade old case against Novel when he allegedly shot dead a criminal suspect in Bengkulu in 2004.
That time Novel was chief of district police detective division of Bengkulu with the rank of first inspector.
KPK refused to give up Novel when a team of police officers came to arrest him in 2012.
KPK said the 2004 case against Novel had been closed and he was not directly involved in the maltreatment .
President Susilo Bambang Judhoyono had to step in to prevent worse conflict between the two law enforcement agencies that time.
However, police continued to pursue the case against Novel after the KPK-police conflict flared again over KPK naming Comr.Gen. Budi Gunawan , a corruption suspect.
Police summoned Novel for investigation in February, 2015, but Novel failed to appear to honor the summon .
A Novel's lawyer Kanti said KPK leaders did not allow Novel to honor the police summons.
Immediately after his arrest from his house on Friday morning, KPK leaders asked for confirmation from police.
Currently KPK leaders are seeking confirmation and coordination with police, KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said.
"The information shocks KPK . Now a team of lawyers has been sent to the police office," Priharsa said.
