T

he presence of the antigraft body’s investigation director Brig. Gen. Aris Budiman on the controversial House of Representatives’ inquiry team has put him on the hot seat over his position on the body.

An internal ethical investigation has been completed and reviewed by the KPK leadership earlier this week, where it was revealed that Aris had allegedly breached serious ethical violations, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Basaria Panjaitan said earlier this week.

Since it was deemed as a gross violation, the case would be handed over to the KPK’s internal advisory board (DPP) which would hold an ethics hearing with Aris next week. The hearing would then issue a ruling or punishment to the one-starred police office, seconded to the KPK.

“KPK commissioners have been instructed to resolve the matter at a hearing held by the internal advisory board,” the agency spokesman Febri Diansyah told reporters on Thursday.

Aris was subject to an internal ethical investigation since his appearance at a hearing with the House’ inquiry team set up to probe KPK investigations in late August. His presence was without consent from the KPK leadership amid their insistence on not attending hearings of the controversial team that was slammed as legally problematic and criticized as part of joint efforts by politicians to degrade KPK’s authority.

Aris was appointed as KPK investigation director in September 2015 not long after the KPK was involved in a conflict with the National Police over the former’s decision to name the then-National Police deputy chief Gen. Budi Gunawan as a suspect of corruption.

Prior to his assignment to the antigraft body, Aris served as deputy director of the corruption division at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department.

The internal advisory board had also questioned Aris over the allegation of KPK investigators’ meeting with several lawmakers from the House’s Commission III regarding the investigation of the high-profile electronic identity (e-ID) graft case.

Besides handling Aris’ case, the board will also handle another case of alleged ethical violation implicating its top graft buster Novel Baswedan. The case revolves around an internal email allegedly centered on Novel’s objection to Aris’ investigation policy which recruited investigators from the National Police.

The email was widely seen as indicating an internal rift within the KPK. Aris had also reported Novel to the Jakarta Police for defamation as Aris accused Novel for insulting him in the email.

Novel has been treated in Singapore for the past six months for an eye condition after two unidentified men threw acid on his face in April.

Separately, former KPK commissioner Abdullah Hehamahua said heavy ethical violations could lead to suspension or dismissal. The punishment, he added, would be decided through a hearing which would be held for at least two weeks.

Ray Rangkuti, an activist with the Coalition of Anti-Corruption Civil Society, said the anti-graft body did not have another choice for the matter other than dismissing and returning the high-ranking police officer to the National Police.