Judge Cecar Febri Diansyah Regarding Alleged Witness Conditionation In SYL Corruption Case

JAKARTA - Former spokesman for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Febri Diansyah was questioned by the panel of judges regarding the alleged detention of a number of employees of the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) who were witnesses in the alleged extortion and acceptance of gratuities with the defendant Syahrul Yasin Limpo or SYL.

Febri Diansyah diketahui sempat menjadi kuasa hukum Syahrul Yasin Limpo saat kasus yang ditangani KPK itu di tahap penyelidikan dan penyidikan.

"Did you ever have no initiative or have carried out to meet witnesses who had been examined by the KPK at that time? Did you meet any of the Ministry of Agriculture employees?" asked Chief Judge Rianto Adam Pontoh during a trial at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, Monday, June 3.

However, Febri did not answer the question straightforwardly. He argued that he met with a number of Ministry of Agriculture to ask for a number of information to prepare a legal opinion document or legal opinion containing the results of an analysis of potential corruption-prone points at the Ministry of Agriculture.

"At that time, because there were several legal issues that were conveyed, then we certainly said that we asked for help from giving copies of documents or statements from parties who knew about the legal issue," he said.

"Well, in that context, we did some kind of legal analysis process formulating a draft legal opinion or legal opinion. There was information from the documents as far as I remember were more than 20," continued Febri.

As if he was not satisfied with the answer, Judge Rianto reiterated whether or not he had ever met a witness who had been examined by the KPK.

Then, Febri said he had met with the former Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kasdi Subagyono and several other people. However, he said, he did not know exactly whether the employee had been examined as a witness or not.

"My question is, have you met or not, witnesses who have been examined by the KPK?" asked Judge Rianto

"When I met Pak Kasdi there were several ministries who were already in the room, and then they conveyed the information they knew," said Febri.

Judge Rianto seemed to be questioning Febri with his meeting questions intending to discriminate witnesses.

"But the problem is that if you already know that they have become witnesses in this case and have made a BAP in the KPK investigators and then you influence them, that's the problem, sir," asked Judge Rianto.

"My question is, when you entered his room Kasdi Subagyono and there were three staff members, do you make sure that you know or not they are already witnesses in this case?" continued Hakim.

Febri straightforwardly denied by stating that he met with a number of ministries to become the material for legal opinion analysis.

"There is something I don't know but then there is something I know that has been asked for information in the investigation, that is the first, Your Honor. And secondly, there has never been any attempt or action from us to influence witnesses," he said.

"Because we were asked by our client to make a legal opinion. If we make a legal opinion of the legal issues, of course we need information as it is, and we put it as objective and as it is in the draft of the legal opinion," explained Febri.