Presidential Staff Calls Jokowi Not Intending To Take Legal Steps Regarding Agus Rahardjo's Speech

Former Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Agus Rahardjo (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Ari Dwipayana's Special Staff Coordinator (Stafsus) admitted that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had no intention of taking legal steps on accusations of intervening in the legal process of Setya Novanto (Setnov) in the e-KTP corruption case as stated by former KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo.

"Until now, there has been no such thing," said Ari Dwipayana in response to reporters' questions regarding President Jokowi's legal steps on the allegations during an activity at the Indonesian Ministry of State Secretariat (Kemensetneg) Building, Jakarta, Wednesday, December 6, which was confiscated by Antara.

According to Ari, President Jokowi has clearly clarified the allegations in an interview with reporters at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Monday, December 4.

In his statement at the time, Jokowi said that he had ordered former DPR Speaker Setya Novanto to follow the existing legal process.

The statement was recorded in a digital footprint on the Cabinet Secretariat website which was released as of November 17, 2017.

In addition, Jokowi has also ordered the State Secretariat to check all agendas for his meeting with Agus Rahardjo around the agenda and not found.

On that occasion, Jokowi also questioned the purpose of the interests of Agus Rahardjo's statement in the mass media.

"Why is it enlivened? What is the interest of being enlivened, what is it for?," said President Jokowi.

Ari Dwipayana said that the clarification submitted by Jokowi was a form of open statement in order to educate the public so that every information circulating was not digested unilaterally.

"This is also an education to the public so that they do not take unilateral information. Yesterday it was clearly conveyed by the President what he said, I think it is clear," he said.

Previously, in an event hosted by senior journalist Rosiana Silalahi which aired on Thursday night, November 30, Agus Rahardjo said that President Jokowi had asked him to stop the electronic ID card corruption case involving Setya Novanto.

However, as is known, on April 24, 2018, the former chairman of the DPR and Novanto were found guilty of corruption in the electronic ID card project for the 2011-2013 fiscal year.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and required to pay a fine of Rp. 500 million, subsidiary to three months in prison.