Jakarta Globe – The war between the Corruption Eradication Commission and almost every other government institution allegedly responsible for enforcing the nation's laws fulfills all the requirements of a Shakespearean tragi-comedy – it's a serious play with a generous sprinkling of jokes and jokers to entertain an enthralled audience.

The public has long understood the depth of corruption within and the level of collusion between the National Police, Attorney General's Office and the judiciary. And the downtrodden majority begrudgingly accepted that state of affairs until Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah, deputy chairmen of the antigraft commission, were taken into custody by the National Police last Thursday.

Since then, almost 1 million people have signed up to a support group on Facebook to back the commission, also known as the KPK, or to take verbal shots at police and other institutions or individuals believed to be participating in a vast conspiracy to weaken the successful antigraft body.

The unprecedented level of vitriol directed against police – especially Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, the National Police's former chief detective, who coined the phrase "a battle between a crocodile and a gecko" – was perhaps best demonstrated at the expense of one young Facebook user identified as Evan Brimob, a member of the South Sumatra Mobile Brigade.

In what was either a moment of sheer idiocy or naive esprit de corps, Evan wrote on his profile: "The police do not need the people. But the people need the police. Go Indonesian police, swallow those geckos alive."

A little over 48 hours later, four anti-Evan Facebook accounts had popped up, including one which sported an altered photo of the officer in less-than manly attire. In all, they had attracted 20,000 supporters. National Police officials, who have defied calls from the public and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to fire Susno (he has stepped down, sort of) acted with unusual haste, apologizing "from the bottom of our hearts" for the comments. The "young and emotional" officer, police say, is now officially under investigation.

Sideshows aside, it was the murky disclosure that the KPK was in possession of wiretapped conversations involving senior law enforcement officials and allegedly criminal figures that prompted the police to detain Chandra and Bibit for alleged abuse of power and extortion in relation to a case involving fugitive corruption suspect Anggoro Widjojo.

The arrests and resulting public outrage led the Constitutional Court to demand the KPK hand over 67 taped telephone conversations. What followed was a hearing quite unlike any other.

For a full five hours, at least two major television stations suspended their regular programming to beam the scandalous content of the tapes into living rooms and warungs around the country. What they heard included threats by an unidentified man speaking to Anggodo Widjojo, Anggoro's brother, to kill Chandra in jail, and conversations involving Anggodo and a number of officials about bringing down the KPK.

Also implicated were Susno, two senior members of the AGO, and Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) deputy chairman I Ketut Sudiharsa. Even Yudhoyono's name was mentioned. He has denied involvement.

Again, there were moments of levity. There was Ketut recorded as asking if it was okay to bring his wife to Singapore to meet Anggoro, and asking Anggoro to save the "new" number he was calling from because he believed the KPK was tapping his old one.

Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD, in response to a suggestion from Bibit and Chandra's lawyer during the hearing, said, "Don't tell law enforcement agencies what to do. Don't be like Anggodo."

On a more serious note, it was a recorded conversation between Anggodo and convicted drug dealer Ong Yuliana Gunawan that caused jaws to drop the furthest, laying out in plain detail the role of the "judicial mafia" in helping clients resolve cases.

After the hearing, Anggodo turned up at TVOne for what he thought was an exclusive rant against his many detractors. He became somewhat more subdued when told the station had been surrounded by police waiting to escort him to National Police headquarters. On his way out he stopped to apologize to the president and his own wife for the overly familiar language he had used in his conversation with Yuliana.

Anggodo, who has not been charged with any crime, shed no tears during the apology. That was not the case when Susno appeared before lawmakers on Thursday night. Fighting back what may said were crocodile tears, Susno pleaded his innocence.