JAKARTA (Reuters) - Police named the head of Indonesia's anti-graft agency as a suspect on Tuesday in a case related to a falsified passport from 2007, the highest-ranking official yet to be caught up in a feud between the two rival law enforcement agencies.
The two most senior officers from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) have now been identified by police as suspects in different criminal cases as part of a dispute with police that has raised concerns about the future of Indonesia's popular anti-graft agency.
Tension between the two rival law enforcement agencies has increased in recent weeks and sparked public outrage in the biggest political test for Indonesia's new president Joko Widodo.
"Abraham Samad has been named a suspect for falsifying a document," Endi Sutendi, spokesman for South and West Sulawesi police, told a news conference in a live broadcast.
After questioning more than 20 witnesses, police said they had enough evidence to name Samad as a suspect in a case involving the falsification of a passport in 2007.
KPK officials could not be reached immediately for comment.
Samad's deputy, Bambang Widjojanto, was named as a suspect by police last month in a 2010 perjury complaint. Widjojanto has offered to resign temporarily, but that has yet to be approved by Samad or Widodo.
Police had earlier threatened to name the agency's four most senior commissioners as suspects in various criminal cases.
Under Indonesian law, police can name individuals as suspects in a case without detailing specific charges.
KPK supporters believe Samad and Widjojanto are being targeted in retaliation for the agency's decision on Jan. 13 to declare police general Budi Gunawan a bribery suspect. Gunawan denies the allegations.
That announcement led Widodo to delay Gunawan's appointment as the next police chief.
Two palace officials told Reuters last week that Widodo has decided to drop Gunawan as his nominee for police chief and was considering others to replace him.