Dani Prabowo, Jakarta – Deputy Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Commissioner Alexander Marwata has admitted to once hearing an account by former KPK chairperson Agus Rahardjo about being scolded by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and ordered to stop an investigation.
Earlier, Rahardjo claimed that he had been summoned by Widodo in 2017 and asked to halt a KPK investigation into the electronic ID card (e-KTP) mega corruption case that had ensnare then House of Representatives (DPR) speaker Setya Novanto (Setnov).
Marwata has held the position of deputy KPK chairperson for two periods, in 2015-2019 and 2019-2024.
"Yes, Pak [Mr] Agus once related the incident to the [KPK] leadership", said Marwata when contacted on Friday December 1.
Upon hearing Rahardjo's story, the other KPK leaders at the time also agreed to reject Widodo's request to halt the probe because an investigation order (Sprindik) for the e-KTP case declaring Novanto a suspect had already been signed.
On the other hand, the KPK did not have the authority to halt an investigation once it had started because it did not have an Order to Stop Investigation (SP3) mechanism at that time.
"The KPK had also already announced a suspect", said Marwata.
Speaking separately, another KPK deputy chairperson during Rahardjo's era, Saut Situmorang, has also revealed that he heard the same story.
Situmorang has admitted that he heard Rahardjo's account of how he was scolded by Widodo and ordered to halt the e-KTP case that ensnared Novanto on September 13, 2019 [sic].
At the time, three KPK leaders, Situmorang, Rahardjo and Laode M Syarif wanted to hold a press conference to hand over a KPK management mandate to the President Widodo in the midst of the uproar over revisions to the KPK Law.
"I'm being honest, I well remember Pak Agus saying 'Pak Saut [Situmorang], the other day (three weeks after Setnov was declared as suspect), I was scolded (by the president), stop [the investigation] were the words he used", said Situmorang when contacted on Friday.
Earlier, Rahardjo revealed that that he once summoned by Widodo and asked to halt the e-KTP case that had ensnared Novanto. Rahardjo made the admission during a special interview with the Kompas TV Rosi talk show on Thursday November 30.
At the time, Rahardjo was asked to meet the president alone and found Widodo in an office already angry and shouting the words "stop it". Also in the room was Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Pratikno.
"The president was already angry remember, because as soon as I entered he said, 'stop it'", related Rahardjo.
"I was shocked right, what did he want stopped? After I sat down only then did I understand that what (Jokowi) was ordering to be stopped was the Pak Setnov case", continued Rahardjo.
However Rahardjo did not want to follow Widodo's order because an investigation order (Sprindik) had already been signed three weeks earlier.
On the other hand, at that time the KPK did not have an order to stop infestation (SP3) mechanism. Not long after the KPK was revised. One of the points in the revision was the inclusion of a stipulation on an SP3.
"That was one of the things, after the revisions to the KPK Law occurred, that made me contemplate, oh, actually they want to KPK to be able to be ordered around", he said.
Meanwhile Presidential Expert Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana has not responded explicitly to questions about whether or not Widodo ever ordered Rahardjo to halt the e-KTP case that ensnared Novanto in 2017.
He has only asked the public to look at Novanto's legal process which continued until he went to trial and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in April 2018.
"We just have to look at the truth of what happened. The fact is, the legal process against Setya Novanto continued its course in 2017 and there was a legal decision with permanent legal force", Dwipayana told Kompas.com on Friday.
Notes
September 13, 2019 is actually the date that commissioners Agus Rahardjo, Saut Situmorang and Laode M Syarif resigned from the KPK in protest over the implementation of the revised KPK Law. The KPK declared Setya Novanto as a suspect in the e-KTP case on November 10, 2017, and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on April 24, 2018.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Alex dan Saut Juga Mendengar Cerita Agus Dimarahi dan Diperintah Jokowi Hentikan Kasus Setnov".]
