Episode 96: Failing the Litmus Test — The Verdict on the Novel Baswedan Acid Attack Case

In this episode, we discuss the recent verdict that sentenced two police officers to light prison terms over the acid attack on Novel Baswedan, a chief investigator in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), on April 11, 2017, closing the case on a story that has generated a lot of news over the years. The police officers, Rahmat Kadir Mahulette and Ronny Bugis, were sentenced to 2 years and 1.5 years respectively, which was longer than what the prosecutors requested but much less than what most people expected the sentence to be, given that this was such a brazen attack against a high-profile corruption investigator. We recap the acid attack itself and the context of which it happened, which was when Novel and his team were doing great work in catching high profile corruption officials, including the Setya Novanto e-KTP case. We share our thoughts and disappointment about the verdict and how, for us, it seems like the death knell to the KPK, especially after the recent law that greatly diminished the power of the independent body.

The fight continues to uphold fair and true justice in Indonesia, and while this result is disappointing, we hope that things will change for the better in the future, and that more people like Novel will still fight for what’s right, even when the system and everything else is against them. 

Thanks for listening!

For those interested in learning more about the topic, we’ve provided links to resources as well as other recommended readings.
Novel Baswedan: Indonesian policemen jailed for acid attack on investigator — courtesy of BBC
Prosecutors reject defense arguments in Novel acid attack case — courtesy of the Jakarta Post
Two policemen jailed over acid attack on Indonesian graft buster Novel Baswedan — courtesy of the Straits Times
Jokowi hopes for ‘fair’ verdict in Novel Baswedan’s acid attack trial: State Palace — courtesy of Tenggara
9 Kejanggalan dalam Sidang Kasus Penyerangan Novel Baswedan Menurut Tim Advokasi — courtesy of Kompas
Who killed the KPK? — courtesy of the Jakarta Post
Disalahkan di Kasus Novel Baswedan, Ini Curhat Jokowi ke Mahfud — courtesy of TEMPO
Novel Tak Berujung (FULL VERSION) | Mata Najwa — courtesy of Mata Najwa
Novel Baswedan: Persidangan Ini Persidangan Sandiwara — courtesy of CNN Indonesia
Novel Baswedan: ‘Saya akan tetap melawan’ – BBC News Indonesia — courtesy of BBC Indonesia
 
 
 
MUSIC CREDITS:
SOUL HIGH by RYAN LITTLE
MONTMARTRE by JAHZAAR
NIGHT OWL and THE GREAT by BROKE FOR FREE