Hasto Denies Having Closeness To Harun Masiku

Hasto Kristiyanto/DOK ANTARA PHOTO/Bayu Pratama S./bar.

Secretary General of the PDI-P Hasto Kristiyanto stated that he did not have any closeness to Harun Masiku. Hasto only met several times in person.

This affirmation was conveyed by Hasto Kristiyanto when he was examined as a defendant in the trial of the alleged bribery case for the replacement of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period and the obstruction of Harun Masiku's investigation.

"I have no close relationship with Harun Masiku," said Hasto during a trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Thursday, June 26.

In addition, Harum Masiku is also said to have never communicated with him whose goal was to consult in the gubernatorial process, to be precise the determination of the electoral district (Dapil) of South Sumatra 1.

The reason is that the determination is the decision of the plenary meeting which must be obeyed by all legislative candidates from the PDIP.

"Moreover, this decision goes through a democratic process by asking each legislative candidate regarding the proposed electoral district," he said.

During the trial, Hasto stated that he had only met Harun Masiku twice. As he recalls, the first meeting was when he introduced himself to the PDIP DPP.

Meanwhile, the second meeting occurred when Harun Masiku visited Hasto at the PDIP aspirations house. The goal is to invite the Secretary General of the PDIP to attend traditional ceremonies and Christmas celebrations.

However, Hasto emphasized that none of the two invitations from Harun Masiku were attended.

"Brother Harun Masiku met me at the Aspirational House when he invited me around November to attend the buffalo cut event, a very large traditional ceremony and also invited me to attend Christmas but I did not attend the two invitations," said Hasto.

In this case, Hasto together with advocate Donny Tri Istiqomah, former PDIP cadre Saeful Bahri, and Harun Masiku were charged with giving bribes of Rp 600 million to Wahyu Setiawan (KPU commissioner) in the 2019-2020 period.

This bribe is so that Wahyu seeks the KPU to approve the application of PAW for the South Sumatra Election Candidate (Sumsel) I on behalf of DPR members for the 2019-2024 period Riezky Aprilia to Harun Masiku.

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 KPK OTT incident against 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 was charged with 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 in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.