KPK Opens The Possibility Of Forcibly Picking Up Mardani Maming If He Is Absent On The Second Summons

KPK Building/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has opened the opportunity to forcibly pick up former Tanah Bumbu Regent Mardani H. Maming. This possibility was opened after he was absent from the first summons as a suspect in a bribery and gratification case related to a mining business permit (IUP).

Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, asked Mardani H. Maming to cooperate with the second summons as a suspect. He said investigators would not hesitate to pick him up if he was absent again.

"If you are absent and there is no acceptable reason under Article 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code, that is the way to do it (forced summons, ed)," Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement Affairs Ali Fikri told reporters, Tuesday, July 19.

As for Article 112 paragraph (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code, it reads, "The person who is summoned must come to the investigator and if he does not come, the investigator will summon him again, with an order to the officer to bring him to him."

With this condition, there is no longer any reason for Mardani to be absent. He was asked to cooperate in responding to the call.

Meanwhile, Mardani H. Maming's attorney, Denny Indrayana, asked the KPK to respect the pretrial process that was taking place at the South Jakarta District Court (PN). He asked his client not to be summoned first until the verdict was reached by the panel of judges.

"We ask all parties, including the respondent, in this case the KPK, to wait and respect the ongoing pretrial process," Denny told reporters at the South Jakarta District Court, Tuesday, July 19.

The KPK, continued Denny, was asked to be patient waiting for the verdict to be read out on Wednesday, July 28. He asked investigators to respect the ongoing legal process by not making further summons to his client.

"Let's wait together and we respect it," he said.

"It would be sweeter and better what the verdict, of course, we hope it doesn't continue so that there is no need for another summons," continued Denny.

Mardani was previously called as a suspect on 14 July. However, he was not present on the grounds that the pretrial was still ongoing at the South Jakarta District Court (PN).

In this case, Mardani Maming was said to have received Rp89 billion in money in a trial for alleged bribery for a mining business license (IUP) in Tanah Bumbu Regency which was held at the Tipikor Court, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (Kalsel).

This allegation was conveyed by the younger brother of former President Director of PT Prolindo Cipta Nusantara (PCN) Henry Soetio, Christian Soetio. At that time, Christian claimed to know that there was a flow of funds to the former Regent of Tanah Bumbu Mardani H Maming through PT Permata Abadi Raya (PAR) and PT Trans Surya Perkasa (TSP).

The money transfer has been going on since 2014. The amount of tens of billions of rupiah is referred to as the amount quoted based on PT PCN's financial statements.