Wijayanti Putri, Jakarta – Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka recently said he had nothing to do with the corruption charges against Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto.

The anti-graft body KPK recently named Hasto a suspect in a case related to fugitive Harun Masiku. Hasto is under investigation for his alleged role in facilitating a bribe to help ex-PDI-P cadre Harun become a lawmaker. Harun to this day remains at large.

Gibran – who recently got dismissed from PDI-P – denied any involvement in KPK's investigations.

"I have nothing to do with it," Gibran told the press in Solo on Wednesday. "Why do you [media] ask me? Just ask KPK. [The corruption charges] have nothing to do with me," Gibran said.

PDI-P recently claimed that KPK's corruption charges against Hasto were politically motivated.

PDI-P senior official Ronny Talapessy said that the investigation began shortly after Hasto openly criticized a Constitutional Court Ruling that enabled Gibran Rakabuming Raka to run for vice president last October. Gibran is the son of former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. Recently, PDI-P officially expelled Jokowi, Gibran, and the former president's son-in-law Bobby Nasution.

KPK has announced Hasto is suspected of bribing General Election Commission (KPU) Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan to secure a parliamentary seat for Harun Masiku. Hasto and Harun allegedly paid the senior election official 57,350 Singaporean dollars ($42,214).

Harun was trying to secure the vacant parliamentary seat left by lawmaker Nazaruddin Kiemas who had passed away. Harun ranked third in the 2019 elections in his electoral district. The bribery aimed to ensure Harun to be certified as Nazaruddin's replacement, bypassing the rightful candidate Riezky Aprilia who ranked second.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/hastos-corruption-charges-have-nothing-to-do-with-me-gibra