KPK's Statement Wanting To Arrest But Prevented By Pandemic Is A Code For Harun Masiku To Save Himself?

JAKARTA - Several parties have highlighted the statement by the Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Karyoto who is eager to arrest his fugitive, Harun Masiku. But the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, hindered his intentions. This statement is considered only rhetoric, even called dangerous and misleading.

In a press conference broadcast on the Indonesian KPK YouTube, Karyoto claimed to have known of Harun Masiku's whereabouts and was eager to arrest him if ordered. He said that the KPK chairman, Firli Bahuri, had actually given the order but there was no opportunity.

"I am very eager to arrest if ordered. At that time, Mr. Chairman had ordered, 'you go' but there is no opportunity yet", he told reporters.

Karyoto said that the suspect for giving bribes about the management of the interim replacement (PAW) for members of the Indonesian House of Representatives was no longer in the country. This is what makes the KPK confused about arresting Harun, especially in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

"We want to go there and are confused because the pandemic has been going on for several years", he said.

Instead of gaining sympathy, this statement was highlighted by many parties. Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman even considered Karyoto's statement to be mere rhetoric.

"It's just bogus rhetoric, it's not clear. Indeed (KPK, ed) from the start had no intention of arresting, so there was only rhetoric", said Boyamin to VOI.

He also made a similar statement for the KPK's request to NCB Interpol to issue a red notice. According to Boyamin, this rhetoric clearly occurred because Harun's name did not appear on Interpol's website, allegedly because there were still unfulfilled conditions.

"So this action can be categorized as not serious and back to mere rhetoric", he said.

Allegedly giving the code to Harun

In fact, a different view emerged from the former Commissioner of the KPK, Bambang Widjojanto. He suspected that what Karyoto had said was a code for Harun who was hiding to get out of the way immediately.

"The KPK's unilateral claim that it knows the whereabouts of DPO Harun Masiku is potentially absurd, dangerous, and misleading. The KPK is alleged to have intentionally notified the fugitive to immediately step aside and avoid it because law enforcement already knew of his whereabouts," BW said in a written statement quoted.

Instead of being confused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to him, the anti-corruption commission should be able to coordinate with other law enforcers at the location where Harun is hiding if they already know about it.

Bambang Widjojanto (Diah Ayu Wardani/VOI)

Furthermore, BW admitted that he was worried that what was conveyed to the public was only an effort as if they were still working to catch their prey. Moreover, the KPK did not react when their inactive investigator, Harun Al Rasyid, found out the whereabouts of the former PDI-P candidate.

"But suddenly, (KPK, ed) is now raving about Harun's whereabouts", he said.

If indeed his concerns are true, BW considers the KPK to have misled and manipulated the actual legal facts. This, he continued, could be considered an obstruction of justice or hinder the investigation of corruption cases that are being carried out.

"Because it seems as if it is carrying out law enforcement but not really, even obscuring and obstructing the actual law enforcement process. In such a situation, the KPK is deliberately and consciously building a window for law enforcement which will only create a mirage of justice", he said.

Recalling the journey of the Harun Masiku case

Harun Masiku was named as a suspect in giving bribes to KPU Commissioner, Wahyu Setiawan, in January 2020. This bribery was carried out so that he could get an easy seat as a member of the Indonesian Parliament through interim shifts or PAW.

Harun's escape began when the KPK carried out an arrest operation regarding this case on January 8, 2020. In the silent operation, the KPK named four suspects, namely Harun Masiku, Wahyu Setiawan, former Bawaslu Member Agustiani Tio Fridelina, and Saeful Bahri.

It's just that Aaron, who was not caught by OTT, is unknown. He reportedly fled to Singapore and is said to have returned to Indonesia.

This case stems from the death of a PDIP candidate named Nazarudin Kiemas. In July 2019, the party bearing the bull symbol filed a lawsuit for judicial review of Article 54 of KPU Regulation Number 3 of 2019 concerning Voting and Counting to the Supreme Court.

The application was then granted and as a determinant of the interim replacement (PAW), the party bearing the bull symbol then sent a letter to the KPU to appoint Harun as Nazarudin's replacement.

However, the KPU instead appointed Riezky Aprilia as a replacement for the brother-in-law of the PDI-P General Chairperson, Megawati Soekarnoputri, who had died. The reason is clear, Riezky's vote is under Nazarudin or in second place for the constituency of South Sumatra I.

Lobbying was then carried out so that Harun could become a member of the legislature. Seeing this gap, Wahyu Setiawan as the KPU commissioner said he was ready to help as long as there was an operational fund of IDR 900 million and the transaction was carried out in two stages in the middle and end of December 2019.

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