TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko on Thursday strongly urged Papua Governor Lukas Enembe to cooperate and comply with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summons as the governor failed to appear for interrogation twice.

The current situation sees a large group of people guarding the house of the governor who is embroiled in corruption allegations. Reports suggest this local support wants to prevent Enembe from leaving Papua. Responding to this condition, Moeldoko said, if Enembe is adamant to remain uncooperative with investigators, he suggested that the National Armed Forces (TNI) might be deployed.

"If [he is] under the protection of the community, does the TNI need to be deployed?" said Moeldoko at the Presidential Office in Central Jakarta on September 29.

Moeldoko asserts that each and every Indonesian citizen are equal before the law and urged the governor to comply with legal proceedings. He also lamented the alleged graft of the central government’s allocated budget that was initially meant to help develop Papua.

"Don't let affirmative activities be distorted. I have no right to judge, but anyone must be held accountable before the law. The KPK must also be tougher," said the former Army chief of staff.

Governor Lukas Enembe failed to appear in the two KPK summons on September 12 and September 26, which his team of lawyers claims is due to his declining health caused by a stroke the governor sustained in 2018. However, KPK doctors were unable to prove Enembe’s health claims as the governor’s team of doctors had difficulties in answering questions from KPK doctors.

M JULNIS FIRMANSYAH

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