Hasto Asks KPK To Respect Pretrial Applications By Postponing Examination This Week

PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto at the KPK building, Monday, January 13, 2025 (Wardhany Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - Lawyer for the Secretary General of the PDI-P (PDIP) Hasto Kristiyanto, Ronny B. Talapessy asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to respect the pretrial filing for the second time at the South Jakarta District Court (PN). He asked for a summons as a suspect who had been rescheduled by investigators to be postponed.

This was conveyed by Ronny after the KPK announced that it would recall Hasto in the bribery case for the interim replacement (PAW) of members of the DPR RI and the obstruction of the investigation. This step was taken after the PDIP politician failed to fulfill the summons on Monday, February 17.

"The KPK should be able to understand and respect our legal right to take the pretrial again by delaying the summons," said Ronny, who also serves as Chairman of the PDIP DPP for Legal Reform in a written statement quoted on Tuesday, February 18.

Ronny said Hasto had never been absent from the investigator's summons. He also referred to pretrial submission as a right in accordance with statutory regulations.

"And this is still part of the substance of suing the determination of the suspect we filed yesterday but has not been touched by the judge," he said.

Furthermore, the South Jakarta District Court has determined the schedule for the start of the trial of two pretrial lawsuits filed. The KPK, according to Ronny, should wait for the judge's decision.

"We also only ask for a postponement because we are following the pretrial process, which previously had not yet decided whether Mas Hasto's suspect status was valid," he said.

Meanwhile, KPK spokesman Tessa Mahardhika submitted that the pretrial lawsuit did not necessarily stop the ongoing investigation. Thus, the request for postponement of the examination submitted by the Hasto camp is deemed inappropriate and a reschedule is carried out this week.

"Therefore, the second summons that I received from investigators will be sent back," said Tessa to reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Monday, February 17.

Previously reported, PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto filed a pretrial against the KPK after being named a suspect in the interim replacement bribery (PAW) case for members of the DPR RI and the obstruction of the investigation.

The lawsuit was later not received by the Sole Judge of the South Jakarta District Court (PN) Djumyanto because it was considered unclear or vague on Thursday, 13 Fenruari.

Hasto's camp then filed a pretrial with the South Jakarta District Court on Friday, February 14 or the day after the decision was made by Djumyanto. They included two separate lawsuits, namely related to bribery cases and the obstruction of the investigation.

Hasto was questioned as a suspect on January 13. He underwent an examination for 3.5 hours and did not have an orange dream.