JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) took with a pinch of salt the nomination of Budi Gunawan for becoming the new Chief of the National Police as the anti-graft agency asked the Immigration office to ban the three-star police general and his son, Muhammad Herviano Widyatama, from overseas travel.

Speaking to journalist on Wednesday (Jan. 14), KPK Deputy Chief Bambang Widjojanto revealed that KPK also asked the Immigration office to ban two other figures allegedly implicated in the case from overseas travel. That two figures are Iie (a police official) and a lecturer at the National Police Leader School namely Syahtria Sitepu.

Bambang said the overseas travel ban for said names is applied to next six months.

As reported earlier, KPK has named Budi Gunawan as a suspect in the so-called fat bank account case on Jan. 13. 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). Budi, however, fights back by calling KPK’s decision as an assassination of his characters.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III, meanwhile, accepted Budi Gunawan’s nomination by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as the new Police Chief.

Today, DPR will hold its plenary session to either accept or reject Budi Gunawan’s nomination as recommended by the President and the House Commission III. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)