Deputy Chairman of Indonesias Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Saut Situmorang was questioned as a reported witness for three hours by the Police Criminal Investigation Body (Bareskrim) in connection with an alleged defamation and slander case.

"We carried out the questioning," Bareskrim Chief Commissioner Umar Surya Fana stated at the Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday.

Umar stated that the investigation conducted today had yet to touch on the subject matter.

When quizzed on the investigative questions posed to Saut, Umar was reluctant to give further details. 

"He has been cooperating and has demonstrated that he is a good citizen of the country by showing up at the questioning, and this is what is important," he remarked.

The Islamic Student Association (HMI) Executive Board had earlier reported Situmorang to Bareskrim Indonesia regarding a statement he made on national television.

The report is numbered LP/479/v/2016/Bareskrim dated May 9, 2016. A complaint was filed against Situmorang for allegedly making a defamatory and slanderous statement regarding the association, as stipulated in the regulations on Electronic Transaction and Information.

During a segment in a talk show titled "Benang Merah" on TvOne, Situmorang cited several HMI members who were proven guilty of corruption when they were serving as officials.

"Look at the politicians; they are all smart and knowledgeable. During their time as students in HMI, they have at least received basic leadership training. They were brilliant as students, but once they serve in the office, they become greedy and deceitful," Saut stated in the program.

For his statement, the HMI Executive Board took legal action and reported Situmorang to the authorities and urged him to tender an apology to all members of the HMI.

Situmorang held a press conference, in which he apologized to the association; however HMI has not dropped the charges against the KPK deputy chairman.

Source: ANTARA