KPK Chief Deems It Too Early to Take Over Case of Former Jampidsus Febrie
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairman Setyo Budiyanto has stated it is too early for his agency to take over the handling of the alleged corruption and money laundering case involving former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) Febrie Adriansyah. The case was initially handled by a joint team from the Metro Jaya Police’s Special Criminal Investigation Directorate and the National Police’s Corruption Eradication Corps, but has gradually been transferred to the Attorney General’s Office.
“I think it’s too early, as the process is still ongoing at the Attorney General’s Office,” Setyo said at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara. He explained that the handling of the case is still in its early stages, including the examination of evidence and documents. “The process is still at the beginning. There is still a lot of coordination that needs to be done, including the examination of evidence and documents. So, let that process run its course first,” added the retired three-star police general.
The suggestion for the KPK to take over the case was previously made by Professor of Law at the Islamic University of Indonesia, Mahfud MD, via his personal YouTube channel uploaded on Sunday. The former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs questioned the transfer of the case from the police to the Attorney General’s Office. According to him, the case handling mechanism needs to be straightened out so that the KPK can take over the case.
Responding to the proposal, Chairman of House of Representatives Commission III, Habiburokhman, said the KPK has the authority to take over case handling. However, the anti-corruption body has currently been asked to supervise the case handling process. “Please do, because the KPK indeed has the authority. However, we have conveyed that this case is being directly supervised by the KPK,” he said at a press conference on Monday.
Setyo acknowledged that the KPK had received a verbal request to conduct supervision after the Police’s Corruption Eradication Corps handed over the continuation of the investigation to the Attorney General’s Office. He explained that the authority to supervise the handling of corruption cases is regulated in Article 6 letter d of Law Number 19 of 2019 concerning the Corruption Eradication Commission. According to Setyo, a written request for supervision will be discussed by the KPK leadership in accordance with applicable standard operating procedures before deciding on the next steps. “The verbal request has been submitted. Later, there will certainly be a written request and it will be discussed according to the SOPs in force at the KPK. The leadership will determine the next process,” he said.