Hasto acting like Budi’s ‘lawyer’: KPK

JAKARTA. Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto has lambasted senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Hasto Kristiyanto for spreading accusations against KPK chairman Abraham Samad without providing any evidence to support his claims.

On Thursday, Hasto made what he called “a revelation motivated by his moral choice” claining that Abraham, during a number of secretive meetings last year, tampered with the legal process of some PDI-P graft suspects in order to secure the vice-presidential candidacy during the 2014 election.

After failing to secure the position, Hasto said that Samad was angry after finding that it was current National Police chief hopeful Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, who foiled his bid to become President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s running mate in the election.

The KPK named Budi a graft suspect on Tuesday last week after finding strong indications that the three-star police general had amassed a total of Rp 95 billion (US$7.62 million) in his bank accounts from taking bribes. Budi was named a suspect just before his expected inauguration as the new National Police chief, which was consequently postponed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Bambang said that Hasto’s demand that the KPK form an ethics committee to investigate Samad’s alleged breach of ethics during his lobbying for the vice-presidential candidacy was illogical because an ethics committee could only be established after evidence was produced to support an allegation. He said that it was Hasto who had to back up his allegations with evidence before asking the KPK to form an ethics committee.

“He is not thinking logically by asking us to establish an ethics committee in the first place to which he will then give evidence to prove his accusations. Such a committee can only be established after there is evidence to confirm that a violation of the code of ethics [at the KPK] has taken place,” Bambang told The Jakarta Post on Thursday night.

Bambang said that Hasto’s statement could be interpreted by the public as “acting like a lawyerfor BG [Budi Gunawan].”

“I wonder whether he is now working as an ‘authorized lawyer’ for BG because indirectly he has very much defended the suspect,” Bambang added.

Bambang further said that Hasto had failed to provide a single piece of evidence to the press that could support his allegations.

“Our system in the KPK allows no room for intervention by one of the [five] KPK leaders, even for the KPK chairman itself, in deciding to name someone a suspect. It is not an individual decision but a collective one,” Bambang said when dismissing Hasto’s allegations that the KPK’s move against Budi was based on Samad’s personal spite.

In addition to his allegations, Hasto said Abraham had a series of meetings with several PDI-P politicians, including him and former chief of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), AM Hendropriyono, who was formerly involved in Jokowi’s campaign team as an advisor.

"The initiative [for the meetings] was pushed by one of Samad's campaign team members. Two of them, D1 and D2, actively lobbied us," Hasto told a press conference in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Thursday.

The meetings allegedly resulted in Samad helping some PDI-P politicians who were named suspects by the KPK receiving more lenient sentences.

"And in the following meetings, his campaign team asked for Samad to be considered as the vice-presidential candidate," Hasto said.

The meetings were said to have been held at the Capital Apartment in Pacific Place, Senayan, South Jakarta.

Hasto added that Samad always wore a green mask to cover his face as well as a cap for disguise during the meetings.(Haeril Halim)