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The ensuing conflict between Indonesia's anti-graft Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and national police faces a new tension as both of the feuding camps admitted to have received terror threats in the last few days with KPK officials saying assassination was included in the terror threat.
KPK Deputy Chairman Bambang Widjayanto said that some of his investigators have received the threats conveyed through short text messages, phone calls and some had been stalked on their way home.
Some KPK investigators said that their families had received assassination threats.
"We are now conducting further investigation into the facts of the terror. We already formed a team for that purpose. We will expose the results to the public when the time comes," Bambang said here on Wednesday.
The threats came up as a state court holds appeal trials filed in by Comm. Gen. Budi Gunawan, a police chief candidate who was declared a suspect in corruption case by KPK shortly before the parliament endorsed him to assume top helm of national police last month. The appeal was aimed to annul the suspect status slapped against Budi.
Budi Gunawan was a former close aide of Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri when she served as the nation's president from 2001 to 2004. He was the only police chief candidate proposed by President Joko Widodo.
According to KPK, Budi allegedly amassed 57 billion rupiah ( about 4.4 million U.S. Dollars) which he obtained from several sources during his service in 2003 to 2006.
Responding to the terror threat issue, President Widodo said on Thursday that he has ordered police to arrest those perpetrating the terror.
According to the president he had conducted meetings with senior officials of KPK and police to discuss the threat. He said that during the meeting with senior police officers, he was reported that similar threats were also received by police.
Escalation of tension between KPK and police apparently happened at the moment after police declared a suspect status against Bambang Widjoyanto for a regional election legal dispute case in 2010 which was already closed down by judges.
Police were also aiming other KPK deputies with legal cases they allegedly committed in the past.
President Widodo was lambasted by various parties at home for his sluggish handling of the case, questioning him on his anti- corruption commitment. The KPK was the only steadfast pillar that symbolizes the nation's struggle to oppose corruption that has been rampant in the country.
Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto said on Thursday that President Widodo was expected to announce his decision related to the appointment of new police chief later this week.
The president has been advised by a particular team he formed to address this issue to drop Budi Gunawan from his candidacy.
