TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - He became famous--or infamous--almost overnight. Following its month-long investigation, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Ethics Committee pointed to 28-year-old Wiwin Suwandi, secretary to KPK Chairman Abraham Samad, as the guilty party. He is guilty of leaking a draft of a letter instructing the investigation of former Democrat Party Chairman Anas Urbaningrum, for his suspected involvement in the Hambalang sports complex corruption case.
Last week, Wiwin met with Tempo reporters Widiarsi Agustina and Bagja Hidayat for an interview. Below are excerpt from Tempo English magazine (Apr. 8-14 edition)
What do you think of the ethics committee's findings?
I never imagined anything like this. I have admitted my actions and that should have been enough. There was no need for the KPK to form an ethics committee. The KPK seemed so certain the one who leaked the letter was Abraham Samad.
Do you regret your action?
I regret my negligence. I undermined the tight administrative management at the KPK.
Why did you leak that letter?
I just wanted the status of Anas to be open to the public soonest, after it was publicly debated for so long. I have no other motive, other than to keep up the spirit of the campaign towards democratization.
Did Abraham know you leaked it?
Not until I confessed to him and to the internal oversight committee. The problem is that since that incident, many people accuse Abraham as the one who leaked the document. But it was purely my own initiative.
When did you tell Abraham?
After I got back from New Zealand around mid-February. He really gave it to me. I told him I was ready for any punishment.
Who questioned you?
The internal KPK oversight official, the Employee Council, and the ethics committee. When I was questioned, I swore that no one ordered me to leak the letter, including Abraham Samad.
What else did the ethics committee find?
The committee chairman Anies Baswedan asked how much money I got from leaking the letter. I answered none. He didn't believe me, then Bambang Widjojanto asked whether I knew or had contacts with anyone from the President's Office. I said no and offered them my two cellphones so they could record all my conversations. They couldn't find anything.
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