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PDI-P in hot water over cover-up allegations

A high-profile corruption case involving members of the ruling party took a peculiar turn on Wednesday after the government retracted its statement regarding the whereabouts of a key suspect in the case, fueling cover-up allegations

Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, January 23, 2020

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PDI-P in hot water over cover-up allegations

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span>A high-profile corruption case involving members of the ruling party took a peculiar turn on Wednesday after the government retracted its statement regarding the whereabouts of a key suspect in the case, fueling cover-up allegations.  

The Immigration Office had previously claimed that Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Harun Masiku, the key suspect in the graft scandal, left for Singapore on Jan. 6 — two days before a raid by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) that led to a full-blown investigation of the case — and had yet to return to the country.

A report by Tempo magazine refuted this claim, however, saying that it had evidence, including CCTV footage, indicating that Harun had returned on Jan. 7 and was in Indonesia when the KPK investigators scrambled to track down and arrest the suspects, including Harun. 

After days of denial, the director general of immigration, Ronny F. Sompie, on Wednesday finally confirmed the Tempo report, saying that there was a “delay in the processing of traffic data at Terminal F” of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport when Harun entered. 

“The information about HM’s return to Indonesia on Jan. 7 has been followed up by the issuance of a travel ban on the order of the KPK leadership,” he said.

The admission came amid allegations the PDI-P, the largest party in the ruling coalition, is tampering with the investigation into the case, which reportedly implicates the party’s secretary-general, Hasto Kristiyanto.

Antigraft activists had already cast doubt on the claim made by the immigration authorities, since the institution is under the auspices of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, currently led by senior PDI-P politician Yasonna Laoly. 

“I believe there is a conflict of interest here,” Zaenur Rohman of Gadjah Mada University’s Center for Anticorruption Studies (Pukat UGM) told The Jakarta Post recently.

Yasonna, who leads the PDI-P’s legal and human rights department, has created a team to question the KPK investigation into the case, which the party believes was marred by a number of irregularities and framed in a way that put the party in a bad light. 

The team has filed its “findings” with the KPK’s supervisory council, including allegations that the KPK is targeting the party, with the letter ordering the investigation into the case signed by former KPK leader Agus Rahardjo a day before his term ended in December. 

The party’s move has drawn sharp criticism, with activists and experts mostly pointing to the apparent conflict of interest on the part of Yasonna, who they say should not have represented his party in a legal case while serving as the nation’s law minister. 

Sarifuddin Sudding of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the public was now left questioning the Immigration Office’s credibility after the admission. “The law and human rights minister said that [Harun] was abroad but then the Immigration Directorate General confirmed that he was in Indonesia on Jan. 7. This has become a question for all of us,” he said. 

"Was it to cover up [Harun’s] whereabouts that a top official at an institution ended up making a public statement without verifying the validity of its content?”    

Desmond Mahesa of the Gerindra Party, meanwhile, said Yasonna should differentiate between his role as a minister and a party member. “How can we trust his statements?” he said. 

Kurnia Ramadhana of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said it was unusual for the PDI-P to set up a legal team to challenge a KPK probe into a case involving its members. The party, he said, dismissed Sri Hartini, the former Klaten regent charged with bribery. “Why did the party not do the same thing to Harun?”

The party also claimed that misinformation about Harun’s whereabouts was “normal”, arguing that to err is human. "I don't think this case should be exaggerated," said PDI-P politician Arteria Dahlan

Yasonna has also played down concerns about a conflict of interest, saying that he has no power to influence the KPK investigation. The PDI-P’s legal team also dismissed the idea that it was trying to defend or protect Harun.  “There’s no other intention for us other than to work in the team rather than to take legal action against the KPK’s law enforcement procedure, which is not in accordance with common practice,” said Maqdir Ismail, a lawyer from the team.

The case revolves around a dispute between the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the PDI-P over who should take over a legislative seat left vacant by deceased PDI-P politician Nazaruddin Kiemas. The KPU gave the seat to Riezky Aprilia, who won the second-highest number of votes in the April 17, 2019 legislative election, despite the PDI-P’s request that it be given to Harun. 

On Jan. 8, the KPK arrested KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan for allegedly accepting Rp 600 million (US$43,950) from Harun through PDI-P members Agustiani Tio Fridelina and Syaiful. The four suspects have been charged with bribery and, except for Harun who has been declared a fugitive, are now in KPK custody. 

The corruption scandal is widely seen as a litmus test for both the PDI-P and the antigraft commission under the new KPK Law, which critics say contains articles that make the commission less effective and less independent, and the new KPK leadership, which critics say is now helmed by a controversial figure with a questionable record.   

Among the controversial articles are the establishment of a supervisory council and the requirement for investigators to secure permits from this council to conduct wiretapping and raids.

Many blame the articles for the KPK’s inability to search Hasto’s office at the PDI-P headquarters in Central Jakarta on Jan. 9 after failing to produce a warrant. It remains unclear whether the commission will ever conduct the search after the failed attempt, though many believe such a move would be futile given the unlikelihood of finding any evidence at this point. (glh)

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