Ombudsman Ethics Hearing: Selection Panel Admits It Did Not Suspect Hery Susanto Because He Was Recommended by the Chair

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Deputy Chair of the Selection Panel (Pansel) for the Ombudsman RI Commissioner and also Director General for Service and Compliance with Human Rights at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Munafrizal Manan, admitted that he did not harbour suspicions toward the non-active Ombudsman Hery Susanto even though he is now embroiled in a case of alleged corruption related to nickel mining governance in Southeast Sulawesi. Munafrizal said the panel did not find information related to alleged legal issues of Hery Susanto during the selection process. According to him, one reason the doubts did not arise was that Hery is an incumbent who received a recommendation from the previous Ombudsman chair. “However regarding Saudara HS, such specific information did not arrive to us,” Munafrizal said at the ethics hearing on Friday (22/5/2026). “We did not harbour doubt because the incumbent applying for this post received a recommendation from the Ombudsman Chair, which means internally there was no detection of potential legal issues,” he said. The statement drew immediate scrutiny from Ethics Council member Siti Zuhro. She said the panel should not have accepted the recommendation without deeper scrutiny. “Mr. Director General, we cannot take things for granted. Anyone, perhaps even an angel who gives the recommendation. We confront him, we ask the person concerned,