Title: Former Minister Yasonna Laoly Blocks KPK‘s Overseas Travel in PAW Bribery Case Involving Harun Masiku
Jakarta, Indonesia – Former Minister of Law and Human Rights (Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia), Yasonna Laoly, has prevented the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) from traveling overseas in connection with a bribery case involving the swap of days (PAW) and prominent businessman, Harun Masiku. Looking back, Yasonna had previously removed the position of Director-General of Immigration, Ronnie Frankie Sompie, following confusion over data regarding Harun Masiku’s return to Indonesia.
In a report by detikcom from Antara News on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, Yasonna announced the removal of Ronnie Frankie Sompie as Director-General of Immigration on January 28, 2020. Ronnie was replaced immediately. "The Director-General of Immigration has already been replaced," Yasonna stated during his tenure as Minister of Law and Human Rights in the Presidential Palace, Jakarta.
The removal came amidst controversy surrounding Harun Masiku’s whereabouts. Ronnie was the first to confirm Harun’s return to Indonesia. On January 22, Ronnie stated that Harun had been in Jakarta since January 7, 2020. Contrarily, on January 16, Yasonna insisted that Harun was still abroad.
Ronnie attributed the discrepancy to a ‘delay time’ caused by IT equipment issues at Terminal 2F of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, leading to a delay in information about Harun’s return. Ronnie served as Director-General of Immigration since August 2015 but was removed after four years and five months. Following Ronnie’s removal, Yasonna appointed Irjen Kementerian Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia (Kemenkumham), Jhoni Ginting, as the acting director-general.
Yasonna also removed the Director of the Immigration Systems and Technology, Alif Suaidi. He explained that both removals aimed to facilitate the work of an independent team investigating and revealing facts about the irregularities surrounding Harun Masiku’s whereabouts. "What’s crucial is to ensure the independent team can work effectively, tracking the delay, and understanding why data was stored on the PC at Terminal 2," Yasonna said.
The independent team, composed of the Inspector General, Cyber Director of the Criminal Investigation Board (Bareskrim), the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo), and the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia, is intended to uncover the truth behind Harun Masiku’s entry from Singapore to Indonesia.
The case remains under investigation. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
