Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's youngest son and Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Kaesang Pangarep went to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building in Jakarta on Tuesday to clarify his use of a private jet during a recent overseas trip.
Kaesang told reporters that he and his wife Erina Gudono's trip to the United States in August was on a friend's private jet.
Erina was preparing to start her master's degree course at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, the US, on a partial scholarship.
"I hitched a ride on a friend's plane," Kaesang said on Tuesday, as quoted by tempo.co, adding that he had come to the KPK on his own initiative without any summons.
Interim KPK chairman Nawawi Pomolango said last week that the KPK would proceed with examining allegations that members of the president's family had accepted gratification in the form of private jet trips.
Kaesang was reported by Indonesian Anti-Corruption Community (MAKI) coordinator Boyamin Saiman and Jakarta State University (UNJ) lecturer Ubaidilah Badrun on Aug. 28.
Bobby's trips were reportedly to take place in February 2023.
KPK spokesperson Tessa Mahardhika Sugiarto declined to provide further details on the identities of the people who filed reports against Bobby.
The KPK's directorate of public complaints is currently handling the reports accusing Kaesang and Bobby of gratification.
"Reports on K and BN [Kaesang and Bobby Nasution] are handled by the directorate of public complaints. The directorate in charge of monitoring gifts under the KPK's graft prevention deputy assists with all materials submitted to the directorate of public complaints," Tessa said on Sept. 7.
He added that the KPK would have 30 days to process Kaesang's statement and determine whether the gift belonged to the state, in which case he would be obligated to pay compensation. (jan)