KPK Convinced To Prove Azis Syamsuddin Give Bribes To Stepanus 'Case Broker'

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) believes that the giving of money by former Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Azis Syamsuddin to his former investigator, Stepanus Robin Pattuju, will be proven. This belief arises because the evidence related to the alleged bribery in handling corruption cases is sufficient.

"We are very confident in the evidence for the alleged actions of the defendant," said Acting Spokesperson for the KPK for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, to reporters, Tuesday, December 14.

Ali said the team of public prosecutors (JPU) would also present other witnesses who were suspected of knowing the handover of money from Azis to Stepanus. This, he continued, was carried out to prove the charges against the former deputy chairman of the Golkar Party.

Meanwhile, regarding the rebuttal submitted by Azis in the trial, Ali said that this was indeed the right of the defendant. As for the challenge of the mubahalah oath from Azis to a witness named Agus Susanto, he said, there was no need to do it.

Ali reasoned that every witness who would testify in court would have to be sworn in first. It is known that Azis had challenged Agus Susanto, who was a witness in the trial, to swear an oath of mubahalah. The reason is that he considers what Agus said is wrong.

"What the witness said is what he knows, moreover the witness has also been sworn in before the panel of judges. Of course the defendant has the right to dispute the witness' testimony, but the oath of mubahalah is not known in our criminal procedural law system," said Ali.

In this alleged bribery case, Azis Syamsuddin allegedly asked Stepanus Robin Pattuju as a KPK investigator to secure his name in an alleged bribery investigation related to the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) of APBNP Central Lampung Regency for Fiscal Year 2017. He and Aliza Gunado are suspected of accepting bribes in this case.

Furthermore, Stepanus and his partner, the advocate Maskur Husain, were willing to help the two in exchange for money from Azis and Aliza Gunado each worth Rp. 2 billion, bringing the total to Rp. 4 billion.

A down payment of Rp. 300 million which was transferred in stages on August 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2020. Then on August 5, 2020, Azis gave a sum of US$100,000 at Azis' official residence. Azis also several times gave money to Stepanus Robin and Maskur Husain which totaled 171,900 Singapore dollars in August 2020 - March 2021.

Stepanus then exchanged the money at a money changer using the identities of Agus Susanto and his friend, Rizky Cinde Awaliyah, into rupiah in the amount of IDR 1,863,887,000.

Some of the money was then given to Maskur Husain in early September 202 in the amount of Rp. 1 billion and Rp. 800 million in September 2020.