Responding To Mahfud MD, KPK Make Sure To Have Evidence During OTT And At Least There Are Witnesses And Evidence

Mahfud MD. (Kemenko Polhukam)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nurul Ghufron ensured that the hand arrest operation (OTT) carried out by his agency must have been accompanied by evidence.

The proof is that many corruptors were found guilty when their actions were tried in the corruption court (tipikor).

This was conveyed by Ghufron in response to the statement of the candidate for vice president (cawapres) number three, Mahfud MD, who alluded to the OTT which was not sufficient evidence that was later being corrected.

"Mr. Mahfud's statement that the KPK's arrest of some evidence is not based on data and even tends to be impossible. So far, until today the KPK's arrest of corruptors has not been proven in the court trial process," said Ghufron in a written statement quoted on Monday, December 11.

Ghufron said that arrests had been regulated in Article 1 Paragraph 19 of the Criminal Procedure Code. This law states that silent operations must be accompanied by evidence.

"So, it is impossible for these activities to be forced if no evidence is found. At least there are witnesses and evidence of money," he said.

"So it is impossible to catch a lack of evidence and not arrest if the evidence is lacking," continued Ghufron.

Meanwhile, Mahfud said that there was a lack of evidence when attending the National Dialogue with Indonesian students throughout Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Friday, December 8. At that time, he said he would strengthen the KPK if it was elected in the 2024 presidential election.

However, Mahfud also didn't want the institution to look great even though there was an inappropriate procedure. "Because in the past there were many too, sir, because the KPK was very good, every time it was wrong by the people it was considered true. Even though there were a lot of mistakes. It shouldn't happen again," he said at the time.

One of the mistakes that Mahfud mentioned was doing OTT but the evidence was not enough. "Forced to go to prison can also happen. That's why the KPK Law is revised," he said.

However, Mahfud recently corrected the statement. He said it was not the arrest in question but the determination of the suspect.

"I am fixing it, not OTT but naming people as suspects (even though, red) the evidence is not enough. Until many years, the suspect is still a suspect," he said after attending the World Anti-Corruption Day with Ganjar-Mahfud volunteers in Bandung, Saturday, December 9.

"That is why, in the previous revision of the KPK Law, it appeared that SP3 (the order to terminate the investigation) could be issued by the KPK," he said.

Mahfud then mentioned that there were a number of suspects whose fate is not clear until now because the case that ensnared him was not sufficient evidence. "It's not allowed to torture that person," said the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Meanwhile, for OTT, continued Mahfud, the anti-corruption commission has done well so far. Moreover, no one has ever escaped the law.

"That's why it will be repaired tomorrow so that people are not held hostage for life as suspects but have never been brought to court," he concluded.