PDIP on Sukoharjo Regent Named KPK Suspect: Our Standard Is Immediate Dismissal

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) has affirmed it has strict rules against cadres ensnared in Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sting operations. A cadre caught in a sting operation will be immediately dismissed from party membership. The statement was delivered by PDIP Central Executive Board (DPP) Chairman Deddy Sitorus in response to the naming of Sukoharjo Regent Etik Suryani, a PDIP cadre, as a suspect in an alleged extortion case within the Sukoharjo Regency Government. “Our standard is, if it’s a sting operation, they will be dismissed immediately, because they are usually certainly guilty. For cases outside of sting operations, we usually wait for the legal process,” Deddy Sitorus told reporters on Sunday. Separately, PDIP DPP Chairman Andreas Hugo Pareira explained that every alleged violation by a cadre will be processed through the party’s internal mechanism. According to him, the Regional Executive Board will submit a report to the DPP Chairman of the Honour Division for examination before sanctions are imposed. “The Regional Executive Board reports to the DPP Chairman of the Honour Division for examination. Sanctions can range from suspension, a warning, to dismissal,” Hugo said. Hugo also responded to the Corruption Eradication Commission’s suspicion that Etik continued an extortion practice that previously occurred during the leadership of her husband, Wardoyo Wijaya, who once served as Chairman of the PDIP Sukoharjo Branch Executive Board. “I don’t know yet. But legal cases must be investigated, not based on opinion,” he stated. Previously, the KPK officially escalated the alleged extortion case within the Sukoharjo Regency Government to the investigation stage. In this case, the anti-corruption body named three suspects: Sukoharjo Regent Etik Suryani, Head of the Sukoharjo Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency Richard Tri Handoko, and Head of General Affairs of the Sukoharjo Regional Secretariat Tri Mulyo. “The KPK has escalated the alleged corruption case related to extortion in the Sukoharjo Regency Government to the investigation stage, and named three people as suspects,” said KPK Deputy for Enforcement and Execution Asep Guntur Rahayu during a press conference on Saturday. Asep revealed that Etik allegedly received payments originating from employee incentives within the Sukoharjo BPKAD. According to him, Etik ordered Richard to collect approximately 40 percent of the incentives received by several employees. “This request by ETS allegedly continues the ‘tradition’ of the previous Regent, who is also ETS’s husband, using coded instructions such as ‘tambahan upah pungut kae ono tho?’ (that additional collection fee exists, right?), ‘kowe mrene kan ora bayar’ (you come here without paying, right?), ‘padakno karo Bapak’ (make it the same as with Bapak). The meaning is that the amount of money remitted should match the remittances during the previous regent’s tenure,” Asep disclosed.