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After two Corruption Eradication Commision (KPK) leaders were released from police custody, public dissatisfaction was on the rise on Wednesday, with calls for action against officials and a businessman involved in a scandal that has captivated the nation over the past few weeks.

Police suspended the detention of Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after wiretapped telephone conversations made public on Tuesday pointed to a conspiracy to incriminate them.

But businessman Anggodo Widjojo, whom the taped conversations showed to have allegedly played a key role in efforts to incriminate the two KPK leaders, was released after 24 hours of questioning by the police late on Wednesday, further fueling public protests.

National Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna said it had been unable to charge Anggodo, who allegedly contacted several officials at the Attorney General’s Office and the National Police to push his case against the KPK commissioners.

“Investigators could not find enough evidence to name Anggodo as a suspect,” Nanan said, adding that police had tried various angles, including defamation, contempt of institutions, bribery, slander and issuing threats.

He said the law should be upheld regardless of whether the public liked it. “People want him detained and arrested but the reality is not always fair and acceptable.”

Erlangga Masdiana, a criminologist from the University of Indonesia, said that the 270-minutes of taped conversations could have been used as evidence to detain Anggodo after their authenticity had been verified by experts.

But fellow criminologist Adrianus Meliala said wiretapping of an ordinary citizen was unadmissable in court.

Anggodo was released despite a request for his continued detention by an independent fact finding team, appointed by the president to investigate the case against Bibit and Chandra.

Team leader Adnan Buyung Nasution, a presidential adviser, said he had instructed National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri to immediately declare Anggodo a suspect for attempted bribery.

“Police must not only consider the technical procedures of the arrest, but also the moral obligations to the public after the recordings were made public and Anggodo himself had openly acknowledged that he attempted to bribe KPK officials,” Nasution said.

“If Anggodo is released the public would believe that he was really collaborating with police officers to get himself off the hook. The police’s reputation could be tarnished.”

Meanwhile, pressure was also mounting for the dismissal of the National Police’s chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Susno Duaji, who has been at the core of police efforts to name the two KPK commissioners as suspects for abuse of power.

Lawmakers demanded that the police investigate Susno after he was mentioned repeatedly in the taped conversations aired by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

“If the investigation proves his involvement, don’t hesitate to fire him,” House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie said.

The chairman of House Commission III for law and security, Benny K Harman, called for Susno to be investigated “as soon as possible.”

“If the taped conversations are true, arrest him,” he said.

Lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul from the Democratic Party asked why Susno was “immune to the law.”

Denny Indrayana, another member of the fact-finding team, said Danuri had signalled that Susno, whom the team will meet with on Thursday, would submit his resignation.

KPK supporters have accused Susno of attacking the the two commissioners to cover his alleged involvement in another graft case linked to the PT Bank Century scandal.

Susno has been accused of abuse of power by issuing a letter that later allowed a business tycoon to withdraw $18 million from the frozen funds of the troubled lender.

On Wednesday, Chandra and Bibit went to the Constitutional Court but declined to comment, only smiling.

Their lawyer, Bambang Widjojanto, said his clients remained purposefully silent because they did not want to be taken into custody again.

“Last week, they were arrested because they talked to the press,” he said. “So, please, don’t ask them anything. If you want to ask, they will only smile.”