Investigators' Presence At Hasto Trial Called KPK To Prove The Indictment

KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said the presence of its investigator, Rossa Purbo Bekti as a witness at the PDI-P (PDIP) Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto's trial to prove the obstruction of the investigation.

This was conveyed by KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo in response to the protests submitted by Hasto's team of attorneys, Ronny Talapessy. He said investigators and former investigators presented by the prosecutor in the trial were factual witnesses.

"So of course it is appropriate for the public prosecutor to present witnesses from KPK investigators, both investigators related to the HM case or related investigators in the arrest activities carried out by the KPK in January 2020," Budi told reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Friday, May 9.

"The prosecutor will pay close attention to every statement presented by the witnesses and the KPK also believes that the judge will of course look at the facts in the trial objectively," he continued.

Meanwhile, Ronny Talapessy, who is also the Chair of the PDIP DPP for Legal Reform, said that the presence of investigators and former KPK investigators seemed to justify the results of the investigation that had been carried out. In fact, the trial should be to test the truth of Hasto's charge of obstruction to investigation and bribery.

The investigators and former investigators at the Jakarta Corruption Court are Rossa Purbo Bekti, Rizka Anungnata, and Arif Budi Raharjo.

"We see that this seems to have confirmed the results of the investigations from investigators," said Ronny at the Corruption Court, Central Jakarta, Friday, May 9.

Ronny said that the investigator's work could actually be known from the case file that was prepared. Thus, Rossa et al's presence is actually considered to cause a conflict of interest because it seems like checking the results of their own work.

Previously reported, PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto was charged together with advocate Donny Tri Istiqomah; 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.

As a result of his actions, Hasto was 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.