Jakarta. Former Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday regarding the corruption case involving Harun Masiku, a fugitive and fellow Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) executive.

Harun has been on the run since being named a suspect for allegedly bribing election officials to secure a House of Representatives seat vacated by a deceased PDI-P lawmaker in 2019.

While a senior election official has been imprisoned for their role in the bribery scandal, Harun’s prolonged absence has continued to damage the reputation of the KPK.

Yasonna told reporters that he was summoned as a witness to provide information about how Harun could attempt to claim the House seat, despite being second in line based on the number of votes he received during the 2019 general election.

KPK investigators also inquired about Harun’s travel history during his time as a fugitive. As the justice minister at the time, Yasonna oversaw the immigration office, which held records of Harun’s movements.

“In my capacity as the justice minister at the time, I provided information regarding Harun Masiku’s travel history,” Yasonna said.

The former minister, who also served as the head of the legal bureau for PDI-P’s central committee, admitted to seeking a Supreme Court ruling to confirm that the replacement of a deceased elected lawmaker was the prerogative of the party.

Harun was appointed by PDI-P to replace Nazaruddin Kiemas, who had won 34,276 votes from the South Sumatra electoral district but passed away after the election.

Initially, the General Election Commission (KPU) reallocated the seat to PDI-P politician Riezky Aprillia, who was ranked second in the district with over 10,000 votes. However, PDI-P’s central committee insisted the seat be given to Harun, who came third with just 5,878 votes. Eventually, the KPU granted the request.

Amid the controversy, KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan was arrested by KPK for allegedly accepting more than Rp 600 million ($37,000) in bribes to approve Harun’s appointment. Wahyu was convicted of corruption and sentenced to six years in prison in August 2020.

Despite the legal proceedings, Harun remains at large. The KPK leadership that initiated the investigation recently ended its tenure, shifting the responsibility of apprehending Harun to the newly appointed commissioners, led by Police General Setyo Budiyanto.