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KPK ready to take on bribery case implicating prosecutor
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Djoko Tjandra is presented to the media during a press conference at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on July 30, shortly after his arrest in Malaysia. He was caught after eleven years on the run following his conviction and sentencing to two years in prison by the Supreme Court in connection with the Bank Bali corruption case. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says it is ready to take over prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari's case from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) as long as it met certain requirements stipulated in the KPK Law.
The AGO arrested Pinangki in August for allegedly accepting bribes in connection with graft convict Djoko Tjandra, who had been arrested around two weeks prior after being on the run for years.
Acting KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said the KPK could take over the case if it met the requirements set out in Article 10A of the KPK Law.
"The KPK will take over the case if at least one of the conditions stipulated in Article 10A is met," Ali said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com.
Article 10A of the law stipulates that the commission is eligible to take on a corruption case if it does not have any form of resolution or if it is being delayed without justifiable reasons. The KPK may also take on a case if the judicial process is deemed to be protecting perpetrators of a crime.
He said the KPK understood the public's expectations, so it had urged the AGO to carry out a transparent and objective judicial process of the case.
"The AGO should develop this case if they find more parties responsible, given that, in the end, the public will evaluate its works," Ali said.
Read also: AGO names prosecutor Pinangki money laundering suspect in connection to Djoko Tjandra case
AGO spokesperson Hari Setiyono previously refuted claims that it would hand Pinangki's case over to the KPK.
Hari said Pinangki had allegedly accepted about US$500,000 in bribes, but he did not reveal whom she is thought to have received the money from.
The AGO’s supervisory unit previously said that Pinangki had committed an ethics violation by going on nine international trips to Singapore and Malaysia in 2019 without permission, allegedly to meet with Djoko, who was still at large at the time.
Deputy Attorney General Setia Untung Arimuladi had removed Pinangki from her post as an official in the planning bureau under the AGO’s junior attorney general for development.
The corruption directorate of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department had announced that it was set to question Pinangki on Wednesday.
"We'll investigate whether JST has committed any other violations of the law," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono said, referring to Djoko by his initials.
The directorate is also currently investigating the removal of the Red Notice status for Djoko from the Interpol system in 2014. (nal)
