Johanis Tanak Doesn't Feel Langgar Ethics Even Though He Will Be Tried By The KPK Council

Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Johanis Tanak (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Johanis Tanak admitted that he was ready to be tried ethically by the Supervisory Board for contacting with the Director General of Mineral and Coal of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Idris Froyoto Sihlete. However, he felt the conversation was against ethics.

"Basically I am ready to face this (the ethics trial, ed). I am considered to have violated ethics but I myself feel that I have not violated it," Johanis told VOI when contacted Friday, July 21.

Even so, Johanis admitted that he had asked the KPK Supervisory Board to postpone the trial period which had been determined on Monday, July 24. The reason is that he is still on leave and will only enter on Wednesday, July 26.

Johanis admitted that he had sent a letter to the Supervisory Board at his request. "Incidentally, I was still on leave until Wednesday and just entered the office. So I asked to back off," he said.

Previously, the KPK Supervisory Board decided to investigate the alleged ethical violation related to the conversation because Johanis did not want to give him his cell phone. In fact, the team will conduct an examination whether there is a conversation between Johanis and Idris.

The photo containing a conversation between Johanis Tanak and Plh, Director General of Mineral and Coal, Idris Sihite, was in the spotlight after being uploaded to an anonymous Twitter account, @dimdim0783. There are several screenshots that discuss work and there are sentences 'behind the screen'.

In addition, this anonymous account revealed that there was a discussion about the Mining Business Permit (IUP) between the two. 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 claimed 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.