I

n a surprising twist, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) allowed Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo home on Friday, after questioning him over his alleged involvement in the driving simulators procurement scandal.

KPK investigators asked 38 questions during the 8.5 hours of questioning.

“Today, I am undergoing a legal process [at the KPK]. As we abide by the law, we will follow the process [required by the KPK],” Djoko, a former chief of the National Police Traffic Corps. (Korlantas), told reporters after the questioning in Jakarta on Friday.

The two-star police general, who was accompanied by his lawyers Juniver Girsang and Hotma Sitompul, declined to comment further to reporters. Instead, he rushed to his car.

KPK deputy chairman Zulkarnain said in a phone interview that the KPK had decided to evaluate the results of the questioning before arresting Djoko.

“We [the KPK] appreciate Djoko’s appearance. It is a form of obedience toward the law,” he said.

Djoko intentionally skipped the KPK’s first summons last week, questioning the KPK’s authority to summon him because the National Police were investigating the same case.

He then sought a Supreme Court ruling to clarify whether the KPK had the authority to handle the case or not.

The court rejected the request, saying that such a request could only be made by public institutions, not individuals, and especially not those who were currently entangled in a legal case.

Since the case hit the headlines, waves of support for the KPK have been growing from religious leaders, legal experts, anticorruption activists and university students.

University of Indonesia (UI) criminologist Bambang Widodo Umar said on Friday that the simulator procurement case should be handled by the KPK.

“According to normative regulations in corruption cases that involve law enforcers, it should be handled by the KPK,” Bambang said.

Djoko is the first active Inspector-General-level police officer to be prosecuted by the KPK.

KPK chairman Abraham Samad boasted on Thursday that he would not hesitate to sign Djoko’s arrest warrant if investigators found sufficient evidence of wrongdoing.

“I will remain in my seat inside my office to wait for investigators to submit a warrant,” he said.

On Friday, however, Abraham went to his hometown of Makassar, South Sulawesi, to attend to family affairs. He said he left the decision whether to arrest Djoko to the KPK deputy chairman in Jakarta.

The KPK has rented a high security detention facility in Guntur, South Jakarta, which many believed was prepared specifically for the detention of Djoko.

The KPK named Djoko its main suspect in early August and alleged that he abused his authority to enrich himself in the procurement of 700 two-wheel and 556 four-wheel vehicle simulators last year.