A Series of Reasons for the Corruption Eradication Committee to Detain Hasto Kristiyanto

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – After deciding to detain the Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDI-P Hasto Kristiyanto, the Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK revealed the reasons for detaining the suspect in the bribery case for the management of members of the 2019-2024 DPR and the obstruction of the investigation into the case.

One of them, Hasto is said to have thwarted the sting operation or OTT of Harun Masiku, so he is still a fugitive until now.

The Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) also stated that Hasto was detained to facilitate further investigations and so that the suspect would not destroy evidence or flee.

Hasto wore an orange vest with his hands cuffed after undergoing questioning as a suspect at the KPK's Red and White Building, Jakarta since 10:00 WIB. Hasto will be detained at the Class 1 State Detention Center in East Jakarta, KPK Detention Center Branch for 20 (twenty) days from February 20 to March 11, 2025.

Throughout Hasto's examination at the KPK Building since Thursday morning, hundreds of PDI-P sympathizers and supporters continued to give speeches in the yard of the KPK Building. In their speeches, they threatened to break into the KPK building if Hasto was detained.

They claimed that Hasto was innocent and did not harm the state, in fact he was not a state official. They asked the KPK to immediately stop the criminalization that had been carried out on their party's top brass. However, the masses had begun to disperse at 19.25 WIB. Meanwhile, Hasto left the KPK Building with a prison car at 18.50 WIB.

In a press conference, KPK Chairman Setyo Budiyanto explained that Hasto had been named a suspect on December 23, 2024. Regarding the reason Hasto was only detained today, Setyo said that this was a subjective reason from the KPK investigation team.

"It is certainly considered so that the suspect does not run away, remove evidence, and certainly to facilitate the investigation and examination process including detailing evidence, documents and others," he added.

Setyo asserted that Hasto's detention was not a form of politicization of the law. The KPK was purely carrying out the law enforcement process.

So far, the KPK has examined and asked for information from 53 witnesses and six experts, and conducted searches in several locations. The KPK also confiscated documents, electronic evidence and other items.

Furthermore, according to Setyo, Hasto is suspected of having intentionally prevented, obstructed or thwarted, directly or indirectly, the investigation into the alleged corruption case of bribery in the management of the interim replacement of members of the 2019-2024 DPR.

From his actions, Harun Masiku, a former candidate for DPR from PDI-P, has fled until now. Harun is the person Hasto tried to get into the DPR, replacing DPR member Riezky Aprilia.

Not only that, Hasto together with Harun and Saeful Bahri (secretariat staff at the PDI-P DPP) are also suspected of giving gifts or promises to members of the General Election Commission for the 2017-2022 period, Wahyu Setiawan together with former Bawaslu member, Agustiani Tio F. The bribes were allegedly given in connection with the determination of elected members of the DPR for 2019-2024 for interim replacement (PAW).

Wahyu had previously been sentenced to 6 years in prison by the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court on August 24, 2020. The panel of judges found Wahyu guilty because he was proven to have received money from Saeful Bahri amounting to 19,000 Singapore dollars and 38,350 Singapore dollars or a total equivalent to IDR 600 million.

Apart from Wahyu, former Bawaslu members, Agustiani Tio Fridelina, and Saeful Bahri, have also been punished.

Setyo further explained that in the case of obstruction of investigation, precisely during the KPK's sting operation on January 8, 2020, Hasto ordered Nur Hasan, the guard of the Aspiration House on Jalan Sutan Syahrir Number 12 A which is usually used as Hasto's personal office, to call Harun Masiku to soak his cellphone in water and immediately run away.

"Because of this action, Harun Masiku could not be caught and has been on the run until now," said Setyo.

Then, on June 6, 2024, before being questioned as a witness by the KPK, Hasto also ordered Kusnadi to sink the cellphone in Kusnadi's possession so that it would not be found by the KPK. Hasto even gathered several witnesses related to the Harun Masiku case and directed the witnesses not to provide truthful statements.

"It is suspected that the action was aimed at obstructing and complicating the ongoing investigation into the bribery case," said Setyo.

Meanwhile, in the bribery case, the KPK investigation team is still simultaneously filing. Setyo emphasized that the Hasto case filing will be completed soon so that it can be submitted as soon as possible to the KPK public prosecutor. However, he was reluctant to explain further when the filing would be completed.

"We will try, we will finish it quickly. But the principle is the fulfillment of evidence based on witness statements, then statements from suspects and other evidence. Certainly this will support the filing process until it is submitted or transferred to the first stage to the public prosecutor," said Setyo.

During the press conference on Hasto's determination as a suspect, in late December 2024, Setyo said that in the bribery case, the KPK found that the bribe money given to Wahyu Setiawan came from Hasto. Hasto is suspected of contributing Rp 400 million of the total Rp 1.5 billion to bribe the former commissioner of the General Elections Commission, Wahyu Setiawan.

Separately, Hasto said that he had cooperated in fulfilling his responsibilities as a legitimate citizen and following the examination process as a suspect. As Secretary General of PDI-P, he admitted that he was ready to accept any consequences. He asked that this case be a momentum for the KPK to enforce the law without exception.

"So that I never regret, I will continue to fight with a burning passion. Hopefully this will be a momentum for the Corruption Eradication Commission to enforce the law without exception including examining Mr. Jokowi's family, thank you, freedom," said Hasto Kristiyanto before boarding the KPK detention car.