IO, Jakarta – The arrest of Election Commission (“KPU”) Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan, which culminated in the refusal of the search on the offices of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s Central Leadership Council (Dewan Pimpinan Pusat Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan – “DPP PDIP”), is troubling for the public. In response, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (“DPR”)’s Commission III, Desmond J. Mahesa, expressed his regret that KPK announced its plan to search the premises. “When the search is announced then held a week later, that’s a load of hot air,” he said in the Senayan Parliamentary Complex on Monday (13/01/2020).
Desmond further stated that the failure of KPK’s team to search DPP PDIP is proof that KPK has been weakened. He reminded that Great Indonesia Movement (“Gerindra”) Party was one of the political parties that rejected the revision of the KPK Law, especially the article regulating the existence of a Monitoring Board that would weaken KPK. The failure of the search is a proof that the Revision of the Law Number 19 of 2019 concerning KPK, specifically Article 37.B Paragraph 1, which states that all searches must be conducted with the permission of the Monitoring Board, obstructs the work of the anti-corruption agency.
Desmond states that the new Chairman and Commissioners of KPK must have the courage to prove to the public that KPK still keeps all of its teeth and is not weakened. It is up to them how to prove this, as such failed searches would cause the public to lose all faith in KPK from now on.
Other than arresting Wahyu, KPK has also arrested former member of the Elections Supervisory Board (Badan Pengawas Pemilihan Umum – Bawaslu) Agustiani Tio Fridelina (“ATF”), also a trusted underling of Wahyu’s, PDIP politician Harun Masiku (“HAR”), and Saeful (“SAE”) a private citizen. KPK’s Vice Chairman, Lili Pintauli Siregar, said that Wahyu received IDR 600 million in bribes to smooth the path of Harun Masiku to be appointed a member of the DPR for the 2019-2024 term. “ATF received IDR 400 million to bribe, and she has forwarded IDR 400 million of the money to former KPU Commissioner WSE. She kept the rest,” Lili stated during a press conference held in KPK Building, Kuningan, on Thursday (09/01/2020). (Dan)