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KPK summons Papua governor again, presses for cooperation amid protests
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is pressing for the Papua governor and graft suspect Lukas Enembe to cooperate with the commission’s second summons amid chants of criminalization by his supporters.
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Papua Governor Lukas Enembe speaks to journalists after his inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta on Sept. 5, 2018. (kompas.com/Ihsanuddin)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is pressing for the Papua governor and graft suspect Lukas Enembe to cooperate with the commission’s second summons amid chants of criminalization by his supporters.
KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said on Friday that its investigation team had scheduled a questioning session for Lukas to be held on Sep. 26 at the KPK office in Jakarta. On Sep. 12, Lukas failed to show up for questioning at the Papua Police headquarters in Jayapura, citing health problems.
“We hope the suspect and his legal team can cooperate with this summons as this is an opportunity for him to make his case in front of the KPK investigation team,” Ali told The Jakarta Post.
Lukas’ legal team has confirmed that its client had received the summons letter, but its client’s presence at the questioning was still up in the air, again citing health problems.
Speaking to Kompas, Aloysius Renwarin, a member of Lukas’ legal team, said the team had requested the KPK to question his client in Jayapura as originally planned instead, in order to lighten the burden on Lukas.
The commission first named Lukas as a graft suspect last week for allegedly receiving Rp 1 billion (US$ 66,678) worth of gratuity during the licensing process of his administration’s procurement of goods and services using the regional budget (APBD).
This is in addition to a series of suspicious transactions found by the state-run Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) while examining Lukas’ financial records.
Supporters of Lukas have since rallied against the KPK for what they see as the criminalization of the Papua governor.
Standoff
On Tuesday, thousands of Lukas Enembe’s supporters descended on the streets of Jayapura demanding the case against Lukas be dropped. The heated situation in Papua is one of the reasons why the KPK has not been as forceful with Lukas.
“We always look at the situation, it’s impossible to forcefully pick him up for questioning given the current situation”, said KPK deputy chairman Alexander Marwata as quoted by Kompas.
KPK deputy of law enforcement, Karyoto, questioned the sincerity of the protests. “The people’s right to protest is protected by the law. But we see this protest as more of an act orchestrated by the suspect, [Lukas Enembe]”, said Karyoto in a press conference on Tuesday.
Responding to accusations of criminalization, Ali emphasized that “the KPK’s investigation is done in full accordance with the law and we guarantee that we will honor the suspect’s rights as outlined by the law”.
Kurnia Ramadhana of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) pushed the KPK to be more decisive, both in getting Lukas to cooperate and in its own handling of the case.
“If the suspect still refuses to cooperate, even after the second summons, the ICW encourages the KPK to pursue legal action and bring him by force,” Kurnia told the Post.
Regarding the suspect’s health, the anticorruption activist pointed out that the KPK had the right to solicit second opinions from the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) as it had done in the past.
Kurnia referred to the case of Setya Novanto, the former speaker of the House of Representatives who was named a suspect, and later convicted, for his role in the e-KTP graft case. In 2017, Setya also used his declining health as an excuse to avoid the KPK before he was declared fit for questioning by the IDI.
But Kurnia also criticized the KPK’s lack of transparency in regard to the case it has built against Lukas. “So far, the commission still hasn’t revealed the details of the gratification itself. This stems from the commission’s internal policy, in which they will only reveal the case they have built against the suspect after making an arrest”, said Kurnia.
The lack of clarity, he added, might be one of the reasons why supporters of Lukas are still steadfast in their support of the governor.
