Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto is accused of promising ex-PDIP legislator Riezky Aprilia a position in either the Human Rights National Commission or a state-run company for backing Harun Masiku's election.
Masiku, concurrently a PDIP cadre, turned fugitive after being implicated in a bribery case related to attempts to have him elected as an interim replacement for deceased lawmaker Nazaruddin Kiemas, elected in the 2019 polls.
During a pre-trial hearing in the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday, a representative from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Iskandar Marwanto, remarked that Hasto instructed PDIP legislator candidate Saeful Bahri to approach Aprilia with the offer.
He added that the two cadres of the once-ruling party met at Shangri-La Orchard Hotel in Singapore on September 25, 2019. Amelia rejected the offer, which would have required her to relinquish her victory in the South Sumatra 1 electoral region.
"The objective was to replace Riezky Aprilia with Harun Masuki as an elected parliamentarian. However, Riezky Aprilia firmly rejected the offer and vowed to resist the collusion," the KPK envoy stated.
Following the setback, PDIP sec-gen Hasto then resorted to instructing another confidant, advocate Donny Tri Istiqomah, to bribe former General Election Commission (KPU) official Wahyu Setiawan with Rp400 million (US$24.5 thousand) to ensure Masiku was named a legislator.
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The KPK declared Hasto and Donny as new suspects in the electoral bribery case on December 24 last year. During today's hearing, Hasto presented written evidence, which the anti-graft institution responded to. The suspect plans to call an expert witness at a similar session on Friday (February 7).
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The KPK will then present its written evidence on February 10 before summoning an expert witness the following day. Both Hasto and KPK will present their respective conclusions on February 12.
The court is scheduled to issue a verdict on the pre-trial motion filed by Hasto against the KPK on February 13.
