"We will remain focused on handling corruption cases, including the e-ID card corruption scandal," KPK Deputy Chairman Laode M. Syarif stated.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will continue to investigate the electronic-identity card (e-ID card) graft case, despite the House agreeing to exercise its inquiry right on the KPK, its deputy chairman Laode M. Syarif stated.

"We will remain focused on handling corruption cases, including the e-ID card corruption scandal," Syarif noted here on Friday in connection with the decision taken by the House of Representatives (DPR) to use its inquiry right on the KPK

He remarked that the KPK will possibly discuss other forms of legal actions. It will continue to handle other corruption cases, such as the Bank Indonesia Liquidity graft case.

The DPR, in its plenary session on Friday, approved a controversial move by several lawmakers to exercise its right to inquiry on the performance of the KPK.

The motion came after the anti-graft agency rejected an earlier request of Commission III of the DPR to hand over a recorded copy of the dossiers of lawmaker Miryam S. Haryani who is implicated in a Rp5.9 trillion scandal over the procurement of e-ID cards.

"We have heard that the DPR has approved to exercise the inquiry right on the KPK, though several lawmakers rejected it. Some House factions even staged a walkout. Whether the matter will have consequences on the validity of the inquiry right, we will study it first," Syarif pointed out.

However, the KPK deputy chairman will not intervene in the affairs of political parties in the House.

"The KPK will not interfere in the political parties affairs but hoped they would understand the outlook of the anti-graft body, which has rejected to reveal the BAP (investigation report)," Syarif emphasized.

The proposal on the House exercising its inquiry right on the KPK surfaced when the anti-graft body held a hearing with Commission III of the DPR on Wednesday (Apr 19) as the body had refused to reveal information outside the court regarding the results of its investigation against Haryani, a former Houses Commission II member of the Hanura Party faction, with regard to the e-ID card graft scandal.

At a court session for holding a hearing on the alleged corruption case related to the e-ID card project on March 30, 2017, KPK investigator Novel Baswedan who had handled the case said that Haryani was pressured by several Commission III members to not confess facts on receiving and distributing money from the e-ID card budget.

According to Baswedan, the names of the Commission III lawmakers were Chairman of the Golkar Faction Bambang Soesatyo, Deputy Chairman of the Gerindra Faction Desmond Junaidi Mahesa, member of the Hanuara Faction Sarifuddin Suding, member of the PDI-P Faction Nasinton Pasaribu, and another member whose name he failed to recall.

"Several factions had rejected the implementation of the inquiry right on the KPK. The MD3 Law (legislative institution law) stipulates that the (plenary) on the proposal of an inquiry right should be attended by more than half of the DPR members, and an approval could be taken only if more than half of the DPR members attended (the plenary)," he added.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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