95 Senators Have Opportunity To Clarify KPK Regarding Reports Of Alleged Bribery For DPD Leadership Elections

Chairman of the KPK Setyo Budiyanto. (Tsa Tsia-VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has received reports of alleged bribery related to the process of selecting the leadership of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) for the period 2024-2029. KPK chairman Setyo Budiyanto said verification was being carried out by the Directorate of Public Reports and Complaints (PLPM).

"The DPD is currently being verified and validated by the PLPM Team. It is hoped that the process can be determined whether it is the authority of the KPK," Setyo told reporters, Friday, February 21.

Setyo said the results of the verification would later be submitted to the head of the anti-corruption commission. In this process, it will also be seen whether it is related to state officials.

Then in the verification process, the opportunity to clarify senators is open. Later on, it will lead to something like that (clarification, ed). (Who, red) knows or even experiences directly, hears, well, it will definitely be needed by the investigative team and Dumas," said the former Director of Investigation of the KPK.

The KPK confirmed that this report would be investigated. Setyo said everyone has the same position in the eyes of the law, including senators.

"We put all things in the same place. If for example the verification and validation stages are carried out by Dumas accurately, yes, we also ensure that everyone has the same position in the eyes of the law," he said.

The election for the DPD leadership was reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday, February 18. It is suspected that there was money given in the process and the reporter was Fitrat Irfan as a former staff member of the DPD.

He reported that 95 senators or DPD members received the flow of money. One of them is a senator from Central Sulawesi (Sulteng) with the initials RAA who is known as his former boss.

"I reported that one of the DPD members from Central Sulawesi had the initials RAA. The indication was that he received the alleged bribery from the election competition for the chairman of the DPD and the deputy chairman of the MPR for the DPD elements. It involved 95 people, members of the council in the DPD from 152 in total," said Irfan at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta.

Irfan said a DPD member was suspected of getting 13 thousand US dollars. The money amounted to 5 thousand US dollars to vote in the election for the chairman of the DPD, while the other 8 thousand US dollars was for the election of the deputy chairman of the MPR from the DPD element.

Giving is given with door to door mode to each room of DPD members. Then the illegal money is deposited into a bank account.