Ethics Panel Waits for Written Response Before Deciding Hery Susanto's Fate

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ethics Panel of the Indonesian Ombudsman (ORI) is awaiting a written response from Hery Susanto before deciding the fate of the former chairman.

Jimly Asshiddiqie, chair of the ORI Ethics Panel, stated that a written response is necessary to confirm the corruption allegations against Hery and to uphold his right to defend himself.

‘Last week we sent a letter as he was not permitted to attend the hearing, so we requested written testimony and set today as the deadline,’ Jimly said during a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

Previously, the Ethics Panel had offered Hery the opportunity to resign honourably through his family.

He explained that Hery had been examined twice: first with his lawyer on Monday (25 May) and again today.

Jimly confirmed the panel has given him until Friday night; if he fails to submit a written response, his right to defend himself will lapse.

Following this, he added, the Ethics Panel will hold a final meeting to conclude the investigation before submitting it to the ORI plenary session, where the final findings will be forwarded to the President.

‘We feel this is sufficient,’ he said.

He noted that internal ORI examinations were conducted to understand Hery’s conduct and the case against him, while interviews with former ORI chair and vice-chair were to determine the reasons behind their recommendation for Hery’s appointment.

Additionally, inquiries from the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) were made to align perspectives on Hery’s case and ascertain the duration of the proceedings.

Jimly also added that the selection panel (pansel) was examined to review Hery’s background and the considerations for his approval as an ORI candidate.