KPK Deputy Outspoken About Witness Examination: Profiling To Myth 'Frozen Room' On The Floor

Acting (Plt) Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Asep Guntur Rahayu (Tsa Tsia/VOI)

BOGOR - Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Asep Guntur Rahayu revealed the methodology when examining witnesses and suspects in his office. The investigator applied a psychological strategy to obtain information.

This was conveyed by Asep in a media discussion held in Bogor, West Java on Tuesday, November 18. He initially told that the first step taken by investigators was not to raise questions but to conduct in-depth profiling.

"We profile first. We'll see first, 'Oh, who wants to be examined today?'" Asep said at the time.

Investigators can also know how the personality of a person is examined through his life. For example, said Asep, someone who has many couples or complicated relationships usually has a higher tendency to lie.

"We'll see first, 'Oh, this seems like a lot of girlfriends.' This is real, Ms. If there are a lot of acquaintances, there are many girlfriends, they usually lie, lie to their wives. There is a possibility that it will be difficult for us to explore (information, ed)," said Asep, who also serves as Director of KPK Investigation.

On the other hand, if the results of profiling show that the witness is a religious figure, investigators will use a religious approach, such as inserting hadith or spiritual values to touch conscience.

There Is Ice Breaking And Regional Language

Asep realized that witnesses who came to his office often carried heavy psychological burdens, such as anxiety or fear in the face of the media spotlight.

So that investigators often spend hours just for ice breaking before entering the main material.

"We chat first until lunch. We haven't entered the examination material. The story is about his family, his hobby. Because we have also monitored it," he explained.

Next, the cultural approach is also a powerful weapon. If the witness is from Java or Sundanese, investigators will try to build emotional closeness or use the regional language.

"Saking coffers, sir, native? (Where did you come from, sir, the original one?). If you are invited to chat in Javanese or Sundanese, it will be more fluid. Until finally we can dismantle it," said Asep.

Only after the witness felt comfortable, the investigator used the investigation technique by showing the main error or key evidence suddenly to undermine the witness's defense.

Cold Room Myth And Frozen Conscience

Asep also answered classical complaints from witnesses who felt "torted" by the temperature of the examination room which was very cold or felt they had been abandoned by investigators for a long time.

Asep explained that the cooling system at the Red and White Building is central with an average temperature of 23 degrees Celsius. So there is no specific arrangement for the torture to be examined.

According to him, extreme cold or heat often comes from the psychological condition examined itself.

"If the AC is 23 degrees but still feels hot, it means that his heart is hot. Likewise, if the AC is 23 but feels cold, it means his conscience is frozen. Not a cold situation," concluded Asep.