Laila Afifa, Jakarta – One thing we should be grateful for from the political squabbling after the 2024 general elections is the possibility of the unraveling of old cases that have long been covered up.

The dispute between an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician and President Joko Widodo provides an opportunity to reveal the facts behind a number of matters, including the case of Harun Masiku, a midterm replacement member of the House of Representatives (DPR) accused of paying a bribe to a General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner.

Allegedly receiving intervention from the State Palace, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has reopened its investigation into the involvement of PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto in the Harun Masiku corruption case. The anti-graft agency is looking into accusations of obstruction of justice. Whatever the motivation, the KPK investigation deserves support, including in its examination of the role played by Hasto.

The investigation of Hasto could reveal the location of Harun, who has been allowed to remain free for four years. KPK investigators are convinced that Hasto frequently communicates with him through one of his aides. This is why the KPK seized cell phones belonging to Hasto and Kusnadi, a member of his staff.

But the investigation and confiscation of cell phones should not break regulations, including those requiring a summons for questioning and written permission from a court before seizing personal possessions. The initiative of KPK investigators to trace Harun Masiku must not be derailed only because of administrative matters.

Harun is the key to the alleged bribery of former KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan. The PDI-P politician allegedly bribed Wahyu in order for him to be appointed to the DPR as a replacement for Nazarudin Kiemas, who died three weeks before polling day. This bribe is alleged to have made possible the dismissal of Riezky Aprilia, who had been inaugurated through the interim replacement mechanism at the KPU. Some of the funds allegedly paid to Wahyu are believed to have come from Hasto.

The KPK detained Wahyu on January 8, 2020, along with a number of other people. Two of them were known to be close to Hasto. But the secret operation to arrest Hasto and Harun failed. Police officers prevented KPK personnel from entering the Police Staff College complex, where Hasto and Harus were believed to be hiding at the time.

Instead of supporting their subordinates, the KPK leadership refused to name Hasto a suspect despite the existence of sufficient evidence. They blamed the KPK enforcement team for trying to seal Hasto's office and the PDI-P building. From that, we know that the KPK bowed down to the ruling party. Since then, Harun disappeared.

This shameful scandal is the result of the structured and systematic weakening of the KPK. The sabotage operation began less than a month after Jokowi inaugurated the new KPK leadership at the State Palace on December 20, 2019. The revisions to the KPK Law meant that the KPK could do nothing about the alleged bribery of the KPU commissioner.

After it was brought under the executive branch, it was easy to turn the KPK into a tool of the government. It was used to investigate allegations of corruption involving political opponents but was powerless in the face of alleged corruption by the government or its coalition.

But now the political climate has changed. Since he put forward his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as Prabowo Subianto's vice-president, Jokowi and the PDI-P have parted ways. He did not support his former party's presidential candidate in the last election.

The Palace even sees Hasto as an obstacle to political communication between Jokowi and PDI-P General Chair Megawati Sukarnoputri. And Hasto often criticizes Jokowi's administration. His questioning by the KPK is the end result of this political dispute.

Hasto could actually take advantage of this conflict to uncover cases related to those in power. As long as he has strong evidence, he has nothing to fear from revealing them to the public, with the proviso that there are no gimmicks or political negotiations behind any public statements.

Corruption has been proven to damage democracy and governance as well as increase costs because of the inefficiencies it causes. Revelations about sensitive high-level corruption cases could be a way of breaking the chain of evil conspiracies within the circle of power elites.

– Read the complete story in Tempo English Magazine

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1883946/chasing-harun-masiku-after-the-electio