KPK Council Accelerates Firli's Ethics Process After Becoming A Suspect For SYL Extortion

KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Member of the Supervisory Board of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Syamsuddin Haris said the ethics process related to the alleged meeting of KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri with former Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo would be accelerated.

This was conveyed by Syamsuddin in response to the appointment of Firli as a suspect in the alleged extortion or acceptance of gratuities from Syahrul. He said the process that was running at the KPK Supervisory Board would not stop and could even be decided sooner.

"It could be that we are accelerating (the decision, ed)," Syamsuddin told reporters when confirmed, Thursday, November 23.

Syamsuddin said the process that was running at Polda Metro with the investigation of ethical violations by his party was two different domains. However, the results of the police case in the extortion case can be a reference for the KPK Council in making decisions.

Although they have not detailed their final stance, Syamsuddin said that the KPK Council could recommend the dismissal of Firli. This letter could later lead to the president's decision to dismiss the KPK chairman as stipulated in Article 32 of the KPK Law.

"Indeed, in Article 32 paragraph 2 of Law 19 of 2019 if the KPK leadership becomes a suspect, it is dismissed from its position and that is of course through a Presidential Decree," he said.

"The recommendation of the KPK Council, ed) will be after the ethical decision is issued," Firli continued.

Previously reported, Polda Metro Jaya has finished carrying out a case of alleged extortion or receiving gratuities from the former Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo. Firli was finally named a suspect.

"A case title has been carried out with results, the discovery of sufficient evidence to determine FB's brother as chairman of the KPK RI as a suspect," said Director of Special Criminal Investigation at the Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Ade Safri Simanjuntak to reporters, Wednesday, November 22, evening.

Some of the evidence that became the basis for determining the suspect included witness testimony and electronic evidence.

Meanwhile, 91 witnesses have been examined. They include Syahrul Yasin Limpo, former aide to Firli Bahuri, Kevin Egananta. Then there is the Semarang Police Chief Kombes Pol Irwan Anwar, Director of Dumas KPK Tomi Murtomo, and two former KPK leaders Saut Situmorang and M Jasin.

Meanwhile, there are about 8 experts consisting of criminal law experts, micro expressions, and procedural law.

The series of cases of alleged extortion or acceptance of gratuities by the KPK leadership against Syahrul Yasin Limpo began when Polda Metro Jaya received Dumas on August 12, 2023. With this complaint, the Sub-Directorate of Tipidkor Ditreskrimsus Polda Metro Jaya collected information on the basis of a statement collection order (pulbaket) issued on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.

Not long after, investigators issued an investigation warrant on August 21. Several witnesses were examined, one of which was SYL.

Then, after the series of investigations were completed, investigators carried out a case title. As a result, a criminal element was found so that the status of the case was upgraded to the investigation stage.