Ikhsan Abdul Hakim, Jakarta – Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Pratikno says he does not remember whether there was a meeting between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairperson Agus Rahardjo at the Presidential Palace in connection with the electronic ID card (e-KTP) corruption case involving former House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Setya Novanto.
"With regard to Pak [Mr] Agus Rahardjo's statement, the former KPK chairperson, regarding the meeting with Bapak [Mr] President Jokowi in connection with the Pak Setnov (Setya Novanto) legal case, I don't think, don’t remember if there was the meeting", Pratikno wrote in an SMS sent to Kompas.id on Saturday December 2.
Pratikno limited himself to emphasising that Widodo supported the legal process against Novanto through to when he was sentenced.
"What I know is, as was widely recorded in the media reports, that the Pak President supported the legal process against Pak Setnov. As we know, the legal process against Pak Setnov continued at that time and Pak Setnov was given a heavy prison sentence", said Pratikno.
Earlier, Rahardjo claimed that in 2017 he was summoned to the Presidential Palace by Widodo and ordered to halt the investigation into the e-KTP corruption case in which Novanto had been declared a suspect.
The KPK chairperson for the period 2015-2019 claimed that Widodo was angry and ordered him to halt the case against Novanto.
"I testify and that it did indeed really happen, initially I did not tell the other commissioners but after some time I told them", said Rahardjo on the Kompas TV Rosi talk-show on evening of Thursday November 30.
"I said that no matter what, the Sprindik (order to start and investigation) had already been issued three weeks ago, at the KPK there was no SP3 [Order to Stop Investigation mechanism], so it was impossible for me to stop it", he said.
Rahardjo believes that revisions to the KPK Law that were passed in 2019 cannot be separated from his decision to reject Widodo's order to stop the investigation into the e-KTP corruption case.
After being revised, the KPK Law contained stipulation on an SP3 mechanism and the anti-corruption agency came under the authority of the president.
"Essentially the revisions to the law, right, brought the SP3 in, then it [the KPK] was under the president. Because maybe at that time the president felt that the KPK had been ordered [halt the case], but how come the KPK didn't want to, how is this possible", said Rahardjo.
Presidential Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana meanwhile has denied Rahardjo's claims about a meeting with Widodo. Dwipayana said the basis for this was that the meeting was not recorded in the president's schedule.
"We just have to look at the truth of what happened. The fact is, the legal process against Setya Novanto continued its course in 2017 and there was a legal decision with permanent legal force", said Dwipayana on Friday December 1.
"The president in an official statement on November 17, 2017, explicitly asked Setya Novanto to submit to the legal process at the KPK which had already declared him a suspect in the KTP electronic corruption case. The president was sure that the legal process would proceed properly", he said.
Notes
According to a Kompas.com article on December 1, Pratikno was actually in the same room in 2017 when Widodo allegedly ordered Rahardjo to stop the investigation into the e-KTP case (https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/12/01/17095671/alex-dan-saut-juga-mendengar-cerita-agus-dimarahi-dan-diperintah-jokowi).
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Soal Jokowi Panggil Agus Rahardjo terkait Kasus E-KTP Setnov, Pratikno: Saya Tidak Ingat".]
