Hasto Sues Investigation Opportunities The Day Before Being Sentenced To 3.5 Years

PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto/ANTARA PHOTO/Bayu Pratama S/app/foc/aa.

The Secretary General of the PDI-P (PDIP) sued Article 21 of the Anti-Corruption Law to the Constitutional Court (MK). This lawsuit was filed a day before he was sentenced to bribery in the management of interim replacement (PAW) members of the DPR for the 2019-2024 period and the obstruction of the investigation that left Harun Masiku on the run.

"We have registered it. We registered it on Thursday night, so before the verdict," said Hasto's lawyer, Maqdir Ismail when contacted by reporters, Monday, July 28.

The Article 21 of the Anti-Corruption Law that Hasto was sued was related to the obstruction of the investigation. Here's the full sound:

"Everyone who deliberately prevents, obstructs, or thwarts directly or indirectly the investigation, prosecution, and examination at trial of the suspect and defendant or witnesses in a corruption case, shall be punished with imprisonment for a minimum of three years and a maximum of twelve years and/or a fine of at least Rp. 150,000,000.00 and a maximum of Rp. 600,000,000.00."

Returning to Maqdir, there are several reasons this lawsuit was filed. First, this article can be interpreted carelessly.

"One of them is an interpretation as made by the KPK, namely that in the investigation process, people can be subject to this article. That's one," he said.

The second reason is that Hasto's camp sees that this article should be applied not only to hinder investigations but also to the unambiguousness of the judiciary.

"Then what we also saw was that the threat of this Article far exceeded, if we read the Anti-Corruption Law, Article 21 is a kind of additional article that threatens third parties to commit acts of obstructing," he said.

"Well, but the threat of punishment far exceeds the threat of punishment, for example, the actions of people who commit bribes, or Article 5 or Article 13. If a person is subject to Article 13 or is subject to Article 11, it is a penalty if Article 13 is 1-3 years. Then if Article 11, it is a penalty of 1-5 years. ... But suddenly an additional article is to threaten people if they carry out obstruction of justice, how come the threat of punishment is higher than the person who commits the main act related to corruption," explained Maqdir.

The following is the petitum for the judicial review lawsuit proposed by Hasto regarding Article 21 of the Anti-Corruption Law: