Hasto Kristiyanto's Case Is An Image Of Indonesian Politics Full Of Betray, Manipulation, And Power Games

PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto when fulfilling the summons of investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to be questioned as a suspect in bribery and obstruction to the investigation, Monday (13/1/2024). (ANTARA/Fianda Sjofjan Rassat/aa)

The case that ensnared the Secretary-General of the PDI-P (PDIP) Hasto Kristiyanto is still a hot topic of conversation. In addition to the assumption of being politically charged, the Hasto case, which was recently named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), is also said to be loaded with bargaining and political weapons in the game of power.

The KPK has named Hasto Kristiyanto as a suspect since December 24, 2024, for two different cases.

In the first case, Hasto is said to have provided some of the money used by Harun Masiku, who is still at large, at the end of 2019 to bribe former General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan to smooth the way Must be as a member of parliament.

In the 2019 election, Hasto placed Harun Masiku in the electoral district (Dapil) 1 South Sumatra, even though he was from South Sulawesi. During the legislative election, Harun Masiku only got 5,878 votes, while Riezky Aprilia's candidate received 44,402 votes.

Riezky should have received votes from Nazarudin Kiemas who died, but KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto accused Hasto of trying to win over Harun Masiku.

In the second case, Hasto allegedly obstructed the investigation of the Harun case, including by directing witnesses not to provide real information and asking his home guard to call Harun to run away during the KPK arrest operation in January 2020.

The day after the determination of the suspect, the KPK announced a decree prohibiting Hasto Kristiyanto and the Second PDIP DPP Yasonna Laoly from traveling abroad for the next six months.

However, the KPK did not detain Hasto even though he had undergone an examination at the KPK building, Jakarta, on Monday (13/1/2025. The anti-corruption commission explained that the reason Hasto was not detained was because it took time to examine other witnesses who had not been present.

The next focus in this case is when PDIP spokesman Guntur Romli said Hasto Kristiyanto had information and video of a scandal by state officials in abusing power, committing corruption, and intervening in the law enforcement process.

These videos and documents are said to have high explosive power. This was confirmed by military observer Connie Rahakundini Bakrie, who claimed to have been entrusted with Hasto with a number of classified documents that could be a time bomb.

On one occasion, Guntur emphasized that the information and video would be disclosed to the public.

"Not a counterattack, but as a resistance to criminalization," said Guntur.

However, Guntur's statement is considered a bargaining chip and a political weapon in the game of power. This is because the documents that Hasto said were only mentioned after the person concerned was named a suspect by the KPK.

Subairi Muzakki, Director of the Republican Institute of Democracy, in the Kompas column likened to this bargaining strategy like the political intrigue in the popular series, the Game of Thrones. In the series it is said that every political step is filled with betrayal, manipulation, and the game of power.

In the Game of Thrones, power is not only obtained through war and military tactics, but also mastery of information, alliance manipulation, and the use of opponent weaknesses as weapons.

As a high-ranking party official for the past 10 years, Subairi assessed that Hasto must know exactly that law enforcement in Indonesia depends on his taste in power. "Because of that, when he was named a suspect, the main narrative that was played was criminalization against him," wrote Subairi.

Regarding Hasto Kristiyanto's statement claiming to be releasing videos and corruption scandals of high-ranking state officials, researcher at the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies (Pukat) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Zaenur Rohman said it was nothing more than a dip.

The statement, according to Zaenur, was only a reaction from a cornered party to counterattack.

"Ini ingin 'menyerang balik', ingin mengatakan tidak hanya dia yang melakukan permainan-permainan yang berbahaya, yang melanggar hukum. YANG lain-lain juga melakukan pelanggaran, kenapa iahal yang jadi tersangka?" kata Zaenur.

"The harsh language may be 'tiji tibeh': matisiji, matikabeh," said Zaenur giving the term Javanese language, which means: one dead, all dead.

However, it is not impossible that this mobilization will turn into reality. Moreover, PDIP is wet and now the public demands that they release the promised evidence. If that really happened, said Zaenur, it would be the public who would benefit from the quarrels of political elites.

"Elite-elite fight alone and be grateful that the quarrel was able to open up the ulcers of elite consolidation that were previously carried out, that then it turned out that there were many crimes that were protected by each other between them," continued Zaenur.

Meanwhile, the founder of the KedapOPI Survey Institute, Hendri Satrio, said that the alleged political hostages in the Hasto case showed an unhealthy situation.

"With the existence of politics, law enforcement hostages do not occur, then the law is influenced by politics, politics is influenced by law, and the law is carried out based on interests," said the man who is familiarly called Hensat on his personal YouTube channel.

For this reason, Hensat suggested that everything be opened transparently. Especially after Hasto Kristiyanto admitted that he had a number of videos that revealed the alleged involvement of state officials in corruption cases.

"In this Hasto case, let's just open it all up. Let's be clear and there will be no more politics of hostages. So that those who are guilty will go to prison," added Hensat, who is also a lecturer in Political Science at Paramadina University.