Deputy Chairperson Of The KPK Johanis Tanak Will Be Tried For Ethics This Month

The former Director of State Administration of the Prosecutor's Office who is now Deputy Chair of the KPK, Johanis Tanak. (Tsa Tsia-VOI)

JAKARTA - The Supervisory Board (Dewas) of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will hold an ethics trial against Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Johanis Tanak this month.

Johanis is suspected of violating ethics due to communicating with the Acting Director General of Mineral and Coal of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Idris Froyoto Siites.

"Hopefully as soon as possible (the ethics trial, ed) will be in June," said KPK Supervisory Board member Syamsuddin Haris to reporters in a written statement, Friday, July 14.

Syamsuddin did not specify the exact time of the trial. However, the alleged ethical violation has been completed by the KPK Supervisory Board.

"Yes, it's (completed the examination stage, ed)," he said.

As previously reported, the photo containing a conversation between Johanis Tanak and the Director General of Mineral and Coal, Idris Sihete, was in the spotlight after being uploaded to an anonymous Twitter account, @dimdim0783. There are several screenshots uploaded by the account containing discussions about work and there are sentences 'behind the screen'.

Not only that, this account also revealed that there was a discussion about the Mining Business License (IUP). Responding to this, Johanis Tanak said the conversation took place before he was appointed as a leader.

He admitted that he was already friends with Idris when he was still together at the Prosecutor's Office. Johanis also admitted that he did not know that his interlocutor had become the Acting Director General of Mineral and Coal because previously he served as Head of Legal Bureau at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

"I contacted him because I was just before retirement, how many months left for me to retire. If I continue to retire, what should I do, so how can there be new activities," said Tanak when contacted by VOI, Wednesday, April 12 evening.

Meanwhile, the KPK Supervisory Board decided to investigate the allegation because Johanis did not want to give the mobile phone used to contact Idris. In fact, the team will conduct an examination whether or not there is a second conversation.