Probe of police general case in go-slow mode

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(Tribunnews.com/Dany Permana)

Despite its earlier plan to summon graft suspect Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo after Ramadhan, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is unlikely to question the police general within the next few days.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that although the antigraft body had planned to summon Djoko by now, the commission had not yet sent a summons to the two-star general.

“We planned to summon him after Lebaran but it definitely won’t be this week,” Johan told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Separately, Djoko, a former Police Traffic Corps chief, said he was ready to face questions as soon as the antigraft body sent the summons.

Although the two-star general has expressed his readiness to meet KPK investigators, it is the police investigators who will likely lead on the investigation.

Djoko had reportedly received a summons from police investigators for questioning. But he will be questioned only as a witness in the driving-simulator graft case.

Previously, it had been reported that the KPK had planned to summon Djoko following Idul Fitri after he was named a suspect along with three other people — National Police Traffic Corps deputy chief Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo; director of PT Inovasi Teknologi Indonesia, Sukotjo S. Bambang; and director of PT Cipta Mandiri Metalindo Abadi, Budi Santoso.

All four men were allegedly involved in the Rp 200 billion (US$21.2 million) procurement of driving simulators at the National Traffic Police Corps headquarters.

Djoko’s lawyer, Juniver Girsang, said on Tuesday that his client had not received any letter from the commission to attend questioning after the Idul Fitri holidays.

“But if the KPK summons Djoko, he will definitely turn up on condition that the summons complies with existing rules and regulations,” he said, denying that his client had already refused to attend a summons as reported in the media.

He added that Djoko was baffled over the KPK declaring him a suspect, considering the commission had not previously questioned him.

“Why was it so sudden? The KPK used to question an individual first as a witness before declaring them a suspect,” Juniver said.

Besides preparing for the case, Djoko’s lawyers, who were appointed by the National Police, are examining the KPK’s authority to handle the case as, according to Juniver, the police had begun investigating the case prior to the commission.

“We held a meeting with legal experts including Yusril [Ihza] Mahendra to analyze the law and determine who has the authority to investigate the case,” he said.

Tension arose between the KPK and the National Police following the former’s decision to name two high-ranking police officers, Djoko and Didik, as suspects in the graft case as well as confiscating documents during an overnight raid on the Police Traffic Corps headquarters in South Jakarta on July 30. The raid ended in a standoff, with KPK investigators being prevented from leaving the building by police officers.

Johan added, however, that the KPK had allowed the police to conduct their own investigation.

Johan said the antigraft body had no issue with the police hiring lawyers to deal with the case, nor with their using lawyers to deal with the rift between the two institutions.

“Hiring lawyers when you deal with legal problems is normal,” he said, adding that the KPK chairman, Abraham Samad, and National Police chief Timur Pradopo were still communicating with each other to find the best solution in resolving the case.

Johan also explained that the naming of Djoko as a suspect was in accordance with procedures. “We don’t have to summon an individual first to name him a suspect,” he said, adding that the KPK had adequate evidence to name him. (cor)