Coordinate to Bring Harun Home

Bringing Harun Masiku home, who is currently in Singapore, will depend significantly on communication and coordination with the Singaporean police.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan wears an orange detention vest after undergoing questioning at the KPK building in Jakarta, Friday (10/1/2020) morning. The KPK named four suspects for alleged involvement in a bribery case following an operation on Wednesday (8/1/2020), namely Wahyu, former Bawaslu member Agustiani Tio Fridelina, Harun Masiku and Saeful.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Harun Masiku, a suspect in the bribery case involving General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan, has been included on the police’s most-wanted list (DPO). Nevertheless, bringing Harun home, who is currently in Singapore, will depend significantly on communication and coordination with the Singaporean police.

This is based on Indonesia’s experience bringing home Singapore-based corruption suspects, such as tax graft convict Gayus H Tambunan in January 2011.

Legal Mafia Eradication Task Force former member Mas Achmad Santosa told Kompas on Tuesday that, based on his experience bringing Gayus home, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) would need to coordinate with the National Police to hunt Harun down in Singapore.

“The National Police have a good relationship with the Singaporean police. On the other hand, [the KPK] needs to find the right moment for the manhunt and have a persuasive approach to and dialogue with the suspect so that he is willing to undergo the legal process in Indonesia,” Achmad said.

The National Police have a good relationship with the Singaporean police.

Previously, the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s Immigration Directorate General said that Harun had left Indonesia for Singapore on Jan. 6. However, the directorate general’s spokesperson Arvin Gumilang said that immigration authorities had only recorded Harun’s exit from Indonesian territory. He said the directorate general did not know whether Harun was still in Singapore. Communication and coordination with Singapore must be continued. However, the directorate general has no authority to demand Singapore prevent Harun from exiting the country. That falls under Singapore’s authority.

Regarding the case of alleged bribery of Wahyu Setiawan related to the recall of a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the KPK has named four suspects, namely Harun – whom the PDI-P proposed to be inaugurated as a lawmaker through the recall process – Wahyu, Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) former member Agustiani Tio and PDI-P Secretariat general staff member Saeful Bahri. The KPK has arrested three of the suspects while Harun remains on the run.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators exit a Bank Indonesia (BI) branch on Jl. Imam Bonjol, Jakarta, Monday (13/1/2020). The KPK team searched the building, which served as a temporary office for the General Elections Commission (KPU), in connection with a bribery case involving the replacement of a 2019-2024 House of Representatives member that has implicated General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan.

Most-wanted list

KPK deputy chief Nurul Ghufron said at the KPK building in Jakarta on Tuesday that Harun had been placed on the most-wanted list on Monday. A follow-up request for assistance to bring him home has also been sent to Interpol.

Separately, KPK chief Firli Bahuri said that the KPK had coordinated with the National Police to find out the suspect’s whereabouts abroad. “If there is information that Harun is in Indonesia, I will need to check with the Law and Human Rights Ministry as whoever enters Indonesian territory will be recorded by the Immigration Directorate General. However, if the info says that Harun is in Singapore, then we will work together with the Singaporean Embassy and the Foreign Ministry,” he said.

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Argo Yuwono said that the police would coordinate with the KPK and the Immigration Directorate General to ensure Harun’s whereabouts. If Harun’s location could be determined, Argo said, the National Police’s international relations division would coordinate with the Singaporean police and send a red notice to Interpol.