LPSK Still Reviewing Justice Collaborator Request from MBG Corruption Suspect Sony Sonjaya
The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) has confirmed receiving an application for protection and justice collaborator (JC) status submitted by Sony Sonjaya, a suspect in the alleged corruption case concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. LPSK Chairman Achmadi stated that his agency is still conducting a comprehensive review and verification of the documents submitted by Sonjaya’s camp following the rejection of the JC request by the Attorney General’s Office. “Yes, someone has submitted an application to LPSK. And it is still under review. That is the gist of it. So, there is an application,” Achmadi said in Jakarta on Wednesday (24/6).
Regarding the mechanism for examining the formal and material requirements of a JC application, Achmadi stressed that LPSK fully adheres to the applicable regulatory framework, namely Law Number 31 of 2014 on the Protection of Witnesses and Victims. He confirmed the agency will delve into the substance of the corruption case involving the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) management. This step will also involve the law enforcement agency handling the main case. “Regarding the requirements, they are stipulated in the law. But the principle is that for any application submitted to LPSK, LPSK will also examine the application and later we will coordinate further with the relevant parties. That is the gist of it,” he explained.
When asked about the impact of the JC status rejection previously issued by the Attorney General’s Office, Achmadi declined to speculate further on whether it would invalidate Sony Sonjaya’s application to his agency. According to him, LPSK has absolute independence in assessing an applicant’s eligibility to receive emergency protection status or a recommendation as a cooperating witness. “What is clear is that we are still examining the case. That is it. So, the application to LPSK is still under review. That is all,” Achmadi concluded.
Previously, Sony Sonjaya applied for justice collaborator status and legal protection to LPSK. Sony Sonjaya’s legal counsel, Krisna Murti, said his team chose to apply for JC status at LPSK after a similar request was rejected by the Attorney General’s Office. Krisna considers security guarantees for Sony and his family a priority. Krisna said the application documents for protection and JC status are currently being reviewed internally by LPSK. A team from the protection agency is also scheduled to soon conduct a direct verification visit to the Attorney General’s Office detention centre where Sony is being held. “Considering the lack of security and safety guarantees for Sony Sonjaya and his family when testifying to reveal the names of those allegedly involved in this MBG corruption scandal,” he stated.