Jokowi, Family Reported to KPK for Alleged Nepotism, Collusion

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman, Solo Mayor Gibran Rakabuming, and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Chairman Kaesang Pangarep were reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday, Oct. 23.

A civil group calling itself the Indonesian Democracy Defense Team (TPDI) filed the report over alleged collusion and nepotism in the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the minimum age requirement for presidential and vice presidential candidates. The decision allows Jokowi's eldest son and Anwar's nephew, Gibran Rakabuming, to run in the presidential race.

Erick S Paat, the report's coordinator, said Anwar Usman as the chairman of the panel of judges in the judicial review cases on the presidential age limit is the main respondent.

“In each of the petitions, the president and the DPR (House of Representatives) were summoned because they were related to the law. In one of the petitions for judicial review at the Constitutional Court, the petitioner mentioned Gibran's name. There is also a petition for a judicial review by the PSI, that we know Kaesang is the PSI chairman,” Erick said at the KPK Building on Monday, Oct. 23.

He mentioned that according to the Judicial Power Law, it is not permissible for the head of the panel of judges to participate in deciding cases related to family members.

“The head of the panel of judges must resign. That's clear. But why did the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court allow himself to become the head of the panel of judges? The Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court should have known about the Judicial Power Law. He should have been aware of his ineligibility from the very beginning,” Erick stressed.

Thus, he suspected an element of willfulness on the part of Anwar Usman, Jokowi, Gibran Rakabuming, and Kaesang Pangarep.

“The KPK has received the report. We'll just have to wait for the follow-up,” Erick said.

Juri Ardiantoro, the Deputy IV of the Presidential Staff Office, responded to the report against President Jokowi and his family regarding allegations of collusion and nepotism in the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the eligibility of the presidential candidate. Juri said the accusation must be proven according to legal principles.

“So be careful when reporting only based on assumptions, without evidence,” Juri said in a short text on Monday, Oct. 23. “Moreover, the accused are the president and his family.”

Following the Constitutional Court’s ruling, presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto backed by the Onward Indonesia Coalition announced Gibran Rakabuming as his running mate in the 2024 election on Sunday, Oct. 22.

DANIEL A. FAJRI | BAGUS PRIBADI

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