Police Comb CCTV Footage and Witnesses

· 4 minutes read

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The police are attempting to identify the perpetrators of a recent attack on two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders by reviewing CCTV footage and gathering statements from nearby witnesses. The perpetrators placed fake bombs on the gate at the residence of chairman Agus Rahardjo and threw Molotov cocktails at the residence of KPK deputy chairman Laode M. Syarif.

The police questioned six witnesses in connection with the fake bomb case at Agus\' residence. The six witnesses observed bags on the gate that contained objects resembling bombs. A local porridge seller witnessed an individual who asked for the location of the neighborhood unit (RT) head’s residence and the residence of the KPK chairman.

The police questioned 12 witnesses that were near the scene in the Molotov cocktail attack on Laode’s residence. Two of the witnesses were questioned at the Jakarta Police headquarters, while the other 10 were questioned at the scene. "Two people were taken to the Jakarta Police headquarters because they were closest to the crime scene when the terror act occurred," National Police Information Bureau head Brig. Gen. (Pol) Dedi Prasetyo said on Thursday (01/10/2019) in Jakarta.

The witnesses’ statements have not shed any light on the two terror cases because none had directly witnessed the incidents.

The National Police are currently reviewing footage from the four CCTV cameras at Laode’s residence. They are analyzing the footage frame by frame to determine where the perpetrators came from and the chronology of how the incident unfolded.

Footage from two CCTV cameras were taken to be examined at the National Police central forensics laboratory (Puslabfor). "We want to see if we can improve the image quality and sharpness to identify the individual captured in the footage," said Jakarta Police public relations head Comr. Argo Yuwono.

Separately, KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said the KPK had sent a team to coordinate with the police on the investigation and provide any information that might be needed, including the schedule for questioning Agus and Laode.

"Direct coordination is being carried out with regard to both security and [police] requests for information. The KPK is collaborating openly with the National Police to solve this case," Febri said.

Weaknesses

The terror attacks against Agus and Laode have been deemed a warning. The attacks also indicate a weakness in the KPK’s security system. "The terror intends, among others, to create fear and have a direct impact on the institutional performance of the KPK," said former KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto.

Bambang has called on the KPK to strengthen security for its leaders and employees, for example by linking residential security systems to the KPK’s main security system.

"It is also important to monitor to the security of families and immediate relatives," said Bambang.

Former KPK commissioner Bibit Samad Rianto said that the attacks had targeted only Agus and Laode most likely because they were strong figures. "That\'s what the terrorists don\'t like, because they feel threatened by them and can\'t control them," he said.

According to House of Representatives Commission III member Muhammad Nasir Djamil, the attacks on Agus and Laode indicated that the KPK’s security model was not proportional to the level of threats. "The security must also be readjusted because the work at the KPK carries high risks," said Nasir.

In a measure to anticipate potential attacks, the police have placed the residences of KPK commissioners under tight guard. Six police officers have been assigned to provide round-the-clock guard at each KPK commissioner’s residence. Both uniformed and plainclothes officers have been deployed to patrol nearby areas.

"We are guaranteeing the security of the KPK chairman and other commissioners by regularly patrolling their [residential] areas," said Argo (DEA/E02/E08/E16/E20/E21)

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