TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Abraham Samad, former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman, said that investigators only had a few hours after a sting operation to conduct a search. Samad said that swift action is vital to prevent evidence from being lost.

"A search must be carried out several hours after OTT, or at least a day after," said Samad to Tempo via a phone call on Monday, January 13, 2020.

According to Samad, if the search is postponed, all pieces of evidence may be lost.

Former KPK deputy chairman Laode M. Syarif, supported Samad's statement. Syarif said that all places suspected to contain evidence of a case must immediately be sealed off to keep them from being taken out.

Syarif said that investigators should search the places after a sting operation. Syarif added that "investigation director or deputy can deploy other task force teams for helping the team conducting the sting operation."

Recently, KPK's work on the search related to the alleged graft case incriminating Election Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan drew public spotlight. The investigators failed to seal off the office of PDIP secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.

KPK Deputy Chairman Lili Pintauli Siregar clarified that her team obtained the search warrant but was blocked by the party's security personnel.

In addition, KPK supervisory body allegedly contributed to the search delay given the revised KPK Law, which noted a search should be conducted under the board's permit.

M ROSSENO AJI