JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Police Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan won a pre-trial lawsuit against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after the South Jakarta District Court ruled on Monday (Feb. 16) that KPK’s decision on naming the three-star general as graft suspect is illegitimate.
On the Monday’s verdict trial, presiding judge Sarpin Rizaldi concluded that the KPK did not have an authority to handle the case dragging Budi Gunawan.
Judge Sarpin argued that Budi Gunawan was neither a state official nor law enforcer when the case occurred. He also said that the case did not cause state losses.
Responding to the court’s ruling, KPK’s lawyer Chatarina Mulia Girsang stated that her client might submit an appeal to the Supreme Court (MA) to challenge the verdict.
As reported earlier, KPK named Budi Gunawan, the Police Chief nominee, as graft suspect related to suspected transactions found in his bank accounts. KPK charged Budi with Article 12 letter a or b, Article 5 Paragraph 2, and Article 11 or 12B of the Anti-Corruption Law juncto Article 55 Paragraph 1 point 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).
But Budi Gunawan fought back by submitting pre-trial lawsuit to the South Jakarta District Court.(haryantosuharman@yosefardi.