DKPP Hearing Case Of Alleged Money Politics Of KPU Members Jeneponto, Respondent Denies Asking For Houses To Pass Perindo Candidates

MAKASSAR - The Election Organizers Honorary Council (DKPP) is hearing a case of alleged money politics over the Puspa Dewi Wijayanti's report against KPU (General Elections Commission) member Jeneponto Ekawaty Dewi at the South Sulawesi Bawaslu office, Makassar.

In the trial, the complainant, Puspa Dewi Wijayanti, who is a former legislative candidate (candidate) revealed that the contestant, KPU member Jeneponto Ekawaty Dewi, asked her for some money during the 2019 general election.

"Sometimes they are asked for money, if it is not fulfilled, I will not be spoken to," said Puspa during the trial, quoted by Antara, Thursday, October 21.

Puspa who at that time was a candidate for South Sulawesi Regional House of Representatives from the Perindo Party in Electoral District IV also said that Ekawaty Dewi had asked for a BTN housing unit so that she could pass herself as a member of the council.

"As the leader of a political party, I was also not invited to KPU activities and was not allowed to upgrade information about elections," she explained.

Even Puspa also revealed several conversations with Ekawaty which were recorded on her cellphone to be used as evidence.

Responding to the accusation, Ekawaty vehemently denied it. Ekawaty emphasized that she had never asked Puspa for money and promised victory in the general election in return.

But Ekawaty admitted that she had asked Puspa for help in the form of a loan. This loan, said Ekawaty, was because he felt that he and Puspa had already established a brotherly relationship, so she did not feel embarrassed when she borrowed money.

"It's not true that I asked for money. What actually happened was that I asked the complainant for help in the form of a loan," said Ekawaty.

Ekawaty also emphasized that Puspa's statement regarding the request for a BTN house in exchange for promising several votes to Puspa was a true distortion of the facts.

According to her, Puspa is a housing developer as well as a politician. In fact, she was even offered a housing unit and was interested in buying a house because she did not own a house until now.

"This is extraordinary engineering," she said.

The session was led by the Chairperson of the DKPP, Prof. Muhammad, who acted as the Chair of the Assembly, accompanied by the Regional Examination Team (TPD) of South Sulawesi Province as a Member of the Assembly, namely Dr. Gustiana A Kambo from the community, South Sulawesi KPU Member Fatmawati, and Saiful Jihad as an element from the Bawaslu (General Election Supervisory Agency).

The agenda for the trial was to hear testimonies from both the complainants and other witnesses, as well as clarifications from the defendants, in this case, the Jeneponto KPU member, Ekawaty Dewi.