REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) refused to bow to the House of Representatives over demand of the House Inquiry Right Special Committee (Pansus) to bring Miryam S Haryani to its meeting.
Miryam, a lawmaker of the House Commission II, is now in KPK detention on charge related to electronic-ID card procurement corruption cases implicating many lawmakers and former lawmakers.
"KPK would not allow the presence of Miryam (in the Pansus meeting) as she is still facing legal process and her case would soon be brought to court," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said here on Tuesday.
The Pansus has summoned Miryam to be present at its meeting on Monday but KPK refused to hand over Miryam and kept her in detention cell. The Pansus then decided to send it second summon.
The Pansus on KPK was formed after the anti graft agency refused to hand over the record of the process of Miryam investigation to the House Commission III.
The Pansus has also threatened to use force by asking police to bring Miryam to its meeting if KPK still rejected its request.
However, police have indicated it would not do as the House wanted it to do.
Police Chief General Tito Karnavian has said police have studied the request and cited legal barrier prohibiting police from doing in line with the House request .
Febri said KPK respect the constitutional right of the House but KPK also needs to ensure not to take a wrong step.
"KPK would not want and may not break the law. We do not want to confuse legal affairs with political issue," he said.
KPK chief Agus Rahardjo already indicated earlier that KPK would definitely not allow Miryam to be present at the Pansus meeting.
"Never. She is in detention for investigation of her case," Agus said on Friday .
Miryam has been in KPK detention since May 1, 2017 after she was named a suspect on charge of giving false testimony at court.
She withdrew the statements in her dossiers telling the court that she was forced by KPK investigators into giving the statement. CCTV, however, showed there was no sign of force being used by KPK investigators.
Senior KPK investigator Novel Baswedan even said that Miryam told her investigators that she was intimidated by a number of House Commission III lawmakers seeking to force her not to disclose the name of lawmakers receiving share of embezzled money from the e-ID card procurement project.
The lawmakers included chairman of the House Commission III Bambang Soesatyo, deputy chairman of the Commission III Desmond Junaidi Mahesa, and Commission III members Sarifuddin Suding, and Masinton Pasaribu.
KPK also questioned the legality of the Pansus saying it was formed not fully following the procedure.
Even law experts have said that the Pansus had been formed more on political motive. The House law inquiry right should be focused only on important and strategic issue of interest to the public in general, not routine matter, they said.
"The issue raised by Pansus over Miryam that she was forced by her investigators, was an ordinary case. It is not a big issue that requires the use of inquiry right," former Chief Justice Mahfud MD has said.
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