Waiting For Further Steps After Nurhayati's Suspect Status Was Intervened By Mahfud MD

Mahfud MD/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The determination of Nurhayati as a suspect, the former Head of Financial Affairs (Kaur) of Citemu Village, Mundu District, Cirebon Regency has been in the spotlight. Most recently, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said that the legal status of the reporter for alleged corruption in village funds would not be continued.

Nurhayati's status, who was previously a reporter, became a suspect in the alleged corruption of village funds by the Cirebon City Police, which was highlighted by many parties. In fact, she has reported allegations of corruption in village funds that cost the state IDR 800 million from 2018 to 2020.

Regarding this determination, the government also spoke up. Mahfud MD through his Twitter account @mohmahfudmd said that Nurhayati's suspect status would not be continued.

He even said his ministry had coordinated with the police and the prosecutor's office. Thus, Nurhayati does not need to come to his office on Medan Merdeka Barat Street, Jakarta to complain further.

"Information that the person concerned is no longer necessary to come to the Kem-Polhukam. Kem-Polhukam has coordinated with the Police and the Prosecutor's Office. God willing, the status of suspect will not be continued. Only the juridical formula remains," Mahfud wrote via his Twitter account on Sunday, February 27.

Even so, the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) confirmed that the case of alleged corruption in village funds that had ensnared another suspect, namely the Head of Citemu Village, was still ongoing. The termination of the status determination, said Mahfud, only applies to Nurhayati.

"The allegation of corruption to the village head is of course continued. This is about Nurhayati reporting and allegedly enjoying it or allegedly letting it go because the report was slow or because of other allegations. We'll just have to wait for the formula from the prosecutor and the police. Anyway, come on, don't be afraid to report corruption," he stressed.

Then what is the mechanism for dismissing Nurhayati's suspect status?

Mahfud said that the step to dismiss Nurhayati's suspect status was a technical matter that was handed over to the Police and the Prosecutor's Office. However, there are two ways to do this, namely using a Termination of Investigation Order (SP3) issued by the police or a Termination of Prosecution Decree (SKP2) from the prosecutor's office.

"SP3 means that the Prosecutor's Office returns to the Police the status of the suspect is not yet complete because, for example, it is incomplete or unclear so that it will be P19 and then SP3.

All these steps, he said, have been discussed with the police and the prosecutor's office. "In fact, I spoke with the Criminal Investigation Agency, that God willing, it will be carried out as soon as possible. It's just a matter of technicality whether you want to use SP3 or SKP2 later," Mahfud said.

What is clear is that whatever the steps to dismiss Nurhayati's suspect status, Mahfud demands that it be carried out immediately. The goal is that this incident does not make people afraid to report allegations of corruption around them

Moreover, this has become the attention of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who wants the public to be brave enough to report allegations of corruption if they have evidence.

"I have communicated with the two institutions so that a solution is immediately found so that people dare to report in accordance with the president's recommendation to the whole community to dare to report if there is someone suspected of committing corruption and there is sufficient evidence," he concluded.