JAKARTA - The 2015-2019 Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leadership, Saut Situmorang, revealed the initial process of designating the former North Konawe Regent, Aswad Sulaiman, as a suspect in the alleged corruption case, which is now being investigated.
"Usually, community complaints are always investigated, cross-checked, clarified, double-checked, and then entered into an investigation," said Saut when contacted by Antara from Jakarta, Tuesday, December 30.
The mechanism for clarification and re-checking is carried out in stages, starting from the task force (satgas) level to the leadership of the KPK.
"At the level of the task force, they are exposed. From the task force to the director level, then exposure again to the deputy level. From the deputy level, exposure again to the leadership level. It was decided to investigate," he said.
According to Saut, at the investigation stage, the KPK is trying to ensure the sufficiency of evidence and tracing the role of each party in the case, including the elements of intent and illegal acts.
He said that the investigation would continue when the case went to the investigation stage, including the calculation of state financial losses.
"So, there are further developments until we find the figure of Rp. 2.7 trillion. That is also a calculation that can be accounted for," he said.
Saut said the calculation of state losses came from an official institution, namely the Indonesian Financial Supervisory Agency (BPK) or the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
"Yes, as far as I remember, BPK, and even if it is internal, we usually never do it. During our period, as far as I remember, it is always BPKP if it is not BPK," he said.
He emphasized that the KPK during his leadership had always tried to ensure that the calculation of state financial losses was carried out by the authorized institution before the announcement of the determination of suspects.
"To avoid conflicts of interest, always if not BPK, yes BPKP, we ask to count first. After that we will announce it," said Saut.
Therefore, he said the then-KPK leadership did not hesitate when announcing Aswad Sulaiman as a suspect at a press conference on October 3, 2017, with an alleged state loss of Rp. 2.7 trillion.
"We used to think that our conviction rate was 100 percent. So whoever we brought to court, we had to win. It was ingrained in the heads of leaders, investigators, investigators, prosecutors, and so on," he said.
As is known, on October 3, 2017, the KPK named Aswad Sulaiman as the Acting Regent of North Konawe for the 2007-2009 period and the Regent of North Konawe for the 2011-2016 period as suspects of alleged corruption related to the granting of mining exploration and exploitation power permits and mining business permits for production operations in North Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, in 2007-2014.
The KPK suspects that Aswad Sulaiman caused state losses of at least IDR 2.7 trillion from the sale of nickel production results allegedly obtained through a licensing process that was against the law. In addition, he is also suspected of receiving bribes of up to IDR 13 billion from a number of mining companies.
On September 14, 2023, the KPK had planned to detain Aswad Sulaiman, but the plan was canceled because the person concerned was rushed to the hospital.
Then on December 26, 2025, the KPK announced the termination of the investigation into the case because there was insufficient evidence. Furthermore, on December 29, 2025, the KPK stated that the BPK RI had difficulties in calculating state losses, which affected the continuation of the legal process of the case.
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