KPK Ensures Gazalba Saleh's Status Remains A Suspect Despite Being Released By The Corruption Court Judge

Head Of KPK News Section Ali Fikri/PHOTO: Wardhany Tsa Tsia-VOI

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Supreme Court Justice Gazalba Saleh remained a suspect in the alleged crime of money laundering (TPPU). The decision of the Jakarta Corruption Court panel that released him did not invalidate the legal status.

"Yes. Still (the suspect, ed) is like that. Because it is not included in the substance of what was found by the KPK during the investigation," said Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri to reporters at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, May 28.

The substance that Ali meant was related to the case handled by the KPK. "It's the same when it's pretrial, right. When the pretrial is then dropped, it's just a formal requirement but it's still going on in substance," he said.

The KPK also said that this case file returned to the prosecutor. The important point is fixed. Friends can also call as suspects, it doesn't matter either, as defendants, it doesn't matter either. Because indeed it's just a narrative, the sentence of legal technical terms," Ali explained.

"What is certain is that the legal substance of the alleged corruption committed by GS has not been touched at all but the file is complete," continued the spokesman with the prosecutor's background.

As previously reported, the Jakarta Corruption Court ordered the KPK to release Supreme Court Justice Gazalba Saleh in a trial held today, Monday, May 27. This order came after the exception submitted was granted.

"To try, one, grant a note of objection from the legal advisory team of the defendant Gazalba Saleh," said Panel of Judges Fahzal Hendri.

This exception was granted because the judge assessed that the prosecutor at the KPK had not received an appointment from the Attorney General. Thus, the indictment submitted cannot be accepted.

This decision then caused a strong reaction from the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Alexander Marwata. He even asked the Supreme Court Supervisory Body (Bawas MA) and the Judicial Commission (KY) to examine the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court who tried the case.