Welcome Guest   |  Login   |   Signup
JG Logo
Sat, May 26, 2012
Archive Search

Police, AGO Disagree if KPU Official Is a Suspect
Made Arya Kencana, Rangga Prako | October 11, 2011

Share This Page
0
2
0
0
Share with google+ :


Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

Be the first to write your opinion!

Confusion reigned on Tuesday as two law enforcement institutions gave conflicting information on the legal status of the head of the General Elections Commission.

The Attorney General’s Office announced on Monday and reiterated on Tuesday that Abdul Hafiz Anshary, the chairman of the commission known as the KPU, had been named a suspect in a case revolving around a disputed legislative election result.

However, National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo denied this. He said Hafiz was only a witness in a case of suspected document forgery.

To prove its point, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, Noor Rachmad, showed reporters a letter signed by Brig. Gen. Agung Sabar Santoso, the general crimes director at the National Police, identifying Hafiz as a suspect.

“This is to clarify the problem and eliminate uncertainty,” he said.

The letter, dated July 27, 2011, showed that Hafiz was accused of violating Criminal Code articles on document forgery and ordering false information inserted into a legal document, Noor said.

The case stems from a police report filed against Hafiz by Abdul Syukur Mandar, a People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) candidate in the 2009 legislative elections in North Maluku. Syukur accuses the head of the country’s top poll body of rigging the election in favor of his opponent.

KPU member I Gusti Putu Arthac also insisted that Hafiz had not been named a suspect and that it was all a misunderstanding.

“Syukur was dissatisfied with the election result, and claimed he deserved the seat that was given to the candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P],” he said, adding that such complaints were common from losing candidates.

Priyo Budi Santoso, a House deputy speaker from Gokar, warned law enforcers to be professional and avoid causing undue stress among KPU members.

He added that if the dispute was merely a case of negligence, the suspect tag was certainly not warranted .

“I was surprised, because I know Mr. Hafiz as a straightforward person,” he said. “I would warn law enforcers to conduct their work in a professional manner and not be in a rush.”