Hasyim Asy'ari: All Legal Actions Are Not From Hasto But From Political Parties

Former Commissioner of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Hasyim Asy'ari said all legal actions related to the interim replacement (PAW) of DPR members from the PDI-P were not carried out by PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto individually. But by political parties (political parties).

This was conveyed by Hasyim when he was presented as a witness in the alleged PAW bribery case and the obstruction of the investigation with the defendant Harun Masiku.

This KPU legal relationship is with political parties. If someone has signed it by law, it is referred to as the leader of a political party. In this case, what we receive, are the proposed names of candidates and so on, Mas Hasto's capacity as secretary general, because his letter uses an official political partyhead," said Hasyim during a trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Friday, May 16.

Hearing this testimony, Hasto Kristiyanto's attorney, Patra M Zen, explored various legal steps such as filing a judicial review to the Supreme Court (MA), requesting a legal fatwa, to a letter to the KPU, carried out by Hasto personally or on behalf of the PDI-P Central Leadership Council (DPP).

"DPP PDI Perjuangan," replied Hasyim when asked who submitted the judicial review on the provisions in KPU Regulation Number 3 of 2019.

Patra referred to the PDI-P letter to the KPU dated August 5, 2019, asking for the transfer of votes for the legislative candidate who had died, Nazaruddin Kiemas. The letter was signed by Hasto, but it was reiterated that the letter was sent on behalf of the PDI-P DPP.

"DPP PDI Perjuangan," said Hasyim asserted.

Hasyim emphasized that all responses from the KPU were also addressed to party institutions, not to Hasto personally.

"Our reply letter or response to the letter sender, namely the PDI-P DPP," he said.

Patra also concluded that these legal actions were not Hasto's personal actions, but the official party policy implemented by Hasto as Secretary General.

However, Hasyim chose to be reluctant to answer the conclusion and continued to emphasize that legal acts were addressed to the PDI-P.

"I don't want to answer that. For me it is enough that the PDI-P DPP sent a letter and we at the KPU answered to the PDI-P DPP," said Hasyim.

In the alleged bribery case, Hasto was jointly charged with advocate Donny Tri Istiqomah; the former convict of the Harun Masiku case, Saeful Bahri; and Harun Masiku gave money amounting to 57,350 Singapore dollars or equivalent to Rp600 million to Wahyu in the 2019-2020 period.

The money is allegedly given with the aim that Wahyu seeks the KPU to approve an interim replacement request (PAW) for the Elected Legislative Candidate for the Electoral Region (Dapil) of South Sumatra (Sumsel) I on behalf of DPR Members for the 2019-2024 period Riezky Aprilia to Harun Masiku.

In addition, Hasto was also charged with obstructing the investigation by ordering Harun, through the Aspiration House guard, Nur Hasan, to submerge Harun's cell phone into the water after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested members of the General Election Commission (KPU) for the 2017-2022 period Wahyu Setiawan.

Not only Harun Masiku's cellphone, Hasto is also said to have ordered his aide, Kusnadi, to drown his cell phone in anticipation of forced attempts by KPK investigators.

Hasto is threatened with a crime as regulated in Article 21 and Article 5 Paragraph (1) letter a or Article 13 of Law (UU) Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 65 Paragraph (1) and Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1 jo. Article 64 Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.