Interpreting The Sickly Annas Maamun's Pardon

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - Former Riau Governor Annas Maamun, convicted of a bribery case for land conversion, received clemency from President Joko Widodo because of his deteriorating health condition. This clemency is stipulated in Presidential Decree number 23 / G of 2019 concerning granting clemency on October 25.

Jokowi granted clemency to Annas after considering humanity. He has also heard input from the Supreme Court and the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD for granting this clemency.

Menkopolhukam Mahfud MD gave input to President Jokowi regarding the clemency on the grounds that Annas was often sick and had to use additional oxygen all the time.

"He already uses oxygen every day. Then he is sick and has many illnesses," Mahfud told reporters at the Kemenkopolhukam Office, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Friday, November 29.

Even though he is given clemency and will be free in 2020, it does not mean that Annas will be free from the supervision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). This is because Annas is suspected of paying bribes to members of the Riau DPRD to ratify the Riau Regional Budget for 2014 and 2015 and the case is currently under investigation.

"Yes, there is still one related case that we are currently handling at the investigation stage," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah told reporters, Friday, November 29.

Febri said that the investigation regarding the bribery had entered its final stage. In fact, soon this case will be transferred and processed at the Corruption Court. "The investigation is almost over," said Febri.

As a giver, Annas has not yet undergone a trial. Meanwhile, three recipients of bribes, namely Ahmad Kirjauhari, Suparman, and Johar Firdaus, who at that time served as members of the DPRD, had already been convicted. The total bribes given by Annas for the three people reached Rp1.1 billion.

Questioning the human side of granting clemency

The government emphasized that the granting of clemency to this 79-year-old man was based on a sense of humanity. Especially in Sukamiskin Prison, Bandung, West Java, Annas suffers from various diseases such as POPK (acute COPD), dysepsia syndrome (depression), gastritis (stomach), hernia, and shortness of breath so she needs to use oxygen all the time.

The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) questioned this clemency. ICW researcher, Kurnia Ramadhana, assessed that the humanitarian reasons used as the basis for granting clemency are absurd.

"That reason cannot be justified, because the indicator of 'humanity' itself cannot be clearly measured," said Kurnia in a written statement, Wednesday, November 27.

In addition, Annas was caught in a corruption case when he was governor of Riau. According to Kurnia, this meant that as the regional head at that time, Annas abused the trust placed in him.

He added, granting clemency to corruptors could reduce the deterrent effect of other actors. So, it becomes natural when the public questions the granting of clemency.

"The Presidential Decree regarding the granting of clemency to Annas Maamun must also be questioned. Because after all, the crime of corruption has been classified as an extraordinary crime, therefore the reduction of punishment in any form and reason cannot be justified," he explained.

Flashback to the case of Annas Maamun, the governor of Riau who served from February to September 2014 was caught in a hand-arrest operation (OTT) in the same year. At that time, he was arrested in Cibubur, East Jakarta along with 9 other people.

After the case was held, the KPK named the former Golkar Party politician a suspect in receiving a Rp2 billion bribe related to the conversion of 140 hectares of oil palm plantation land in Kuanten Singingi Regency, Riau Province.

This case dragged the name of the then Minister of Forestry, Zulkifli Hasan. Annas said that he had met with the PAN politician at his residence to discuss the proposed revision of forest area changes in Riau.

Furthermore, the judges at the Bandung Corruption Court sentenced Annas to 6 years in prison and a fine of Rp. 200 million, a subsidiary of 2 months in prison. After the verdict, he then filed an appeal. As a result, Annas was instead sentenced to 7 years in prison.

In this case, he was proven to have received a bribe of US $ 166,100 from Gulat, the Manurung Gold Medal and Edison Marudut. In addition, Annas was proven to have received a prize money of Rp. 500 million from Gulat in order to win Edison's PT Citra Hokiana Triutama in implementing the project at the Public Works Office of Riau Province.