Immigration Head Falls Victim

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Lili Pintauli Siregar (second left), accompanied by General Election Commission (KPU) chairman Arief Budiman (left) and KPK officials, presents evidence in a bribery case at the KPK’s Jakarta headquarters on 9 Jan. 2020, including Rp 400 million in seized cash. The KPK named as suspects KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan, Elections Supervisory Agency member Agustiani Tio Fridelina, politician Harun Masiku and Saeful as suspects in the case surrounding Harun’s bid to become a lawmaker.

The disappearance of Harun Masiku, a legislative candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and a fugitive wanted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), has taken its toll. Immigration director general Ronny F. Sompie was removed from his post.

Harun is still on the run. The KPK says it is still on the hunt for Harun. But no information has emerged as to his whereabouts.

Harun reportedly returned to the country on Tuesday, 7 Jan. 2020, the day before the KPK arrested General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan and made three other arrests.

The immigration office and the KPK had earlier insisted that Harun remained abroad. He indeed left to Singapore on Monday, 6 Jan. 2020. A media investigation proved that Harun had returned to Jakarta on 7 Jan. Surprisingly, it was only on 22 Jan. that the immigration office confirmed that Harun had returned to Jakarta on 7 Jan. It said that the delay in the reporting was due a technical glitch in the immigration system at the airport.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

An activist holds a black-and-white photograph on 23 Jan. 2020 at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta. A group of anticorruption activists reported Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly to the KPK for allegedly obstructing the investigation into a bribery case that has implicated Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Harun Masuki, accusing Yasonna of issuing a false statement that Harun was overseas.

The different data provided by the Law and Human Rights Ministry came under the spotlight. Activists launched an online petition for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to dismiss Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly. In response, President Jokowi has only reminded his ministers to be careful when speaking publicly.

In the end, Yasonna dismissed immigration director general Ronny F. Sompie as well as the immigration information systems and technology director, Alif Suaidi. Yasonna said they had been replaced "to ensure that there is no conflict of interest". Yasonna has now set up an independent team to investigate the delayed reporting of immigration data, especially related to Harun.

We urge the independent team to uncover the cause of the 16-day delay in the immigration data.

We urge the independent team to uncover the cause of the 16-day delay in the immigration data. Did the delay occur only in connection with Harun Masiku, who is wanted by the KPK? If the immigration data is subject to a reporting delay of up to 16 days, this would mean that the immigration office has an extremely weak data collection system. This is very dangerous.

The independent team must also uncover other possible factors that could have contributed to the delayed reporting. The team’s findings will be significant in determining the credibility of the Jokowi administration, particularly law minister Yasonna.

However, on the other hand, any "other factors" found to have caused the different immigration data on Harun\'s return must also be disclosed. It must be realized that the public has become increasingly critical. Information is exceedingly open. The location of a person with an active mobile phone can be easily traced.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan, wearing a detention vest, sits in a car ready to transport him to detention on 23 Jan. 2020 at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Wahyu was questioned as a suspect in a bribery case surrounding the replacement of a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The KPK should be assertive. It cannot afford to be indecisive. The KPK can ask for police assistance in locating Harun. With their professionalism, we believe that the National Police can locate and detain him. However, it would be better for Harun to turn himself in to the police. He can present his defense in court to prove that he is a victim, as the PDI-P leader has said. Honesty and courage in taking responsibility is very important, and could add clarity to the case.