Mahfud MD To Novel Baswedan: If I Were The President, You Would Be The Attorney General

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (Photo: documentation of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD admitted that he was well acquainted with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan. In fact, he had complimented each other with Novel a while ago.

In the event 'Dialogue of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs: Development of the Actual Political, Legal, and Security Situation' which was broadcast on Gadjah Mada University YouTube, Mahfud said that he had been questioned by Novel Baswedan while serving as Chairman of the Constitutional Court (MK). However, he did not specify what cases he was summoned for.

"I came to be examined for no more than 15 minutes. Novel Baswedan (at that time, ed) stood up, 'sir, if the leader of a country like you is everything this country will do.' He said that," Mahfud said, imitating Novel's statement as quoted on Monday, June 7th.

"I said, 'if I become president, you are the Attorney General'. I said so, at that time," he added.

Mahfud also admitted that he was close and knew Novel Baswedan well. He said he had visited this investigator after being doused with hard water near his house.

"When many people do not look because they are afraid, because they are reluctant, I look," he said.

However, he heard that many people thought that Novel was a political investigator. The reason is that he is considered only targeting certain parties or parties.

"If people from certain parties whose faults are clear are left alone. This is what people say. There have been reports that they have been shot by these parties. There are people who say that," said Mahfud.

Even so, he stated that he still supports the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) even though he cannot do anything about the polemic of the National Insight Test (TWK) which led to the inactivation of 75 employees. This is because decisions related to this are not only taken by the government but from the DPR RI, political parties, and civil society.

Thus, he hopes that from the dialogue held, academics can provide the best input for the anti-corruption commission in the future. "I am the same as the community, I support the KPK, it must be strong," he said.

As previously reported, Novel Baswedan was one of 75 employees who were declared not to have passed the TWK and were disabled from their duties. The TWK activity was attended by 1,351 KPK employees and 1,274 of them were declared eligible to be inducted as ASN.

The inauguration of the KPK employees was carried out on Tuesday, June 1. However, the polemic regarding TWK is still being heard.

According to the employees who were declared unsuccessful, there were a number of anomalies in the implementation of this assessment. Including, there are a number of questions that are considered to violate the private sphere.

These employees who did not pass, then reported the implementation of the TWK to Komnas HAM. Subsequently, a special team was formed, led by two commissioners, namely Choirul Anam and Sandrayati Moniaga to investigate the alleged human rights violations in this test.

In addition to submitting reports to Komnas HAM, these employees also report their leadership to a number of parties, from the KPK Supervisory Board to the Indonesian Ombudsman.