REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will serve another summons on National Police chief candidate Commr. Gen. Budi Gunawan next week for questioning in an alleged gratification case.
"We will serve another summons next week. No date has been set, but the summons will be issued as soon as possible," head of the KPK's publication and information division Priharsa Nugraha said here on Friday.
KPK was supposed to question Budi on Friday. But he failed to show up, arguing his case was still in pre-trial process.
"At 10.30 a.m., Snr. Commr. Agung Makbul informed KPK that Pak BG (Mr. Budi Gunawan) could not come because his case was in pre-trial process," Nugraha noted.
Nugraha added that Makbul notified KPK of the reason for Budi's no-show by producing an assignment letter from the law division of the National Police Headquarters.
The way Makbul conveyed the reason was unjustifiable, he remarked.
"(Snr. Commr. Agung Makbul) did not bring along a power of attorney from the concerned party. He only brought along an assignment letter from the law division of the National Police Headquarters," he pointed out.
That Budi will face a pre-trial charge was also unjustifiable, he observed.
"Investigators are of the view that if Budi's reason (pre-trial) is accepted, it will set a bad precedent as there is no legal basis for anybody to refuse questioning by citing that his case is in pre-trial process," he explained.
Budi Gunawan failed to respond to a summons issued by KPK in connection with a graft case on Friday.
On Monday (Jan 19), the National Police Headquarters applied for pre-trial after KPK named Budi Gunawan suspect. The pre-trial is scheduled for February 2, 2015.
According to Nugraha, KPK can even use force to bring him to them.
"In line with the Code of Criminal Procedures, force can be used if he refuses to come without giving appropriate reasons even after summoned twice. Investigators have that authority," he pointed out.
Until Thursday (Jan 29), KPK summoned 13 witnesses in connection with Budi Gunawan's case. However, only one of them responded to them.
President Joko Widodo has decided to postpone the induction of Budi Gunawan after KPK named him suspect in a corruption case. Parliament too had approved his candidacy for national police chief.
Budi Gunawan has been named suspect for his alleged involvement in suspicious transactions when he was heading the career development division at the National Police Headquarters from 2003 to 2006 and handling other positions.
Following Budi Gunawan's naming as suspect, the police named KPK deputy chairman Widjajanto in a regional election dispute case for allegedly prompting a witness to give false testimony in a court in 2010, when he was a lawyer.
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