Jakarta. The case of graft fugitive Harun Masiku has become a political tool used by authorities to target the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), especially when it voices criticism of the government, a top party official claimed on Friday.

PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto, currently facing trial in connection with the Harun case, argued that the scandal is being weaponized to discredit both him and the party.

Hasto made the remarks during his preliminary defense at the Central Jakarta District Court, where he is standing trial as a corruption defendant.

Harun, a PDI-P politician, has been on the run since January 2020 after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him a suspect for allegedly bribing an election official.

Hasto claimed that public interest in Harun’s disappearance is often reignited whenever PDI-P takes a critical stance against the government. He cited the party’s opposition to Indonesia’s hosting of the U20 World Cup in 2023 -- due to the participation of Israel -- as an example.

“Now, the Harun Masiku case is being used against me,” Hasto told the panel of judges.

In December last year, prosecutors charged Hasto with conspiring with Harun to bribe an election official in a bid to install Harun in a vacant parliamentary seat following the death of an elected PDI-P lawmaker. Hasto is also accused of obstructing justice by allegedly assisting Harun in evading capture.

According to Hasto, he was named a suspect just a week after PDI-P expelled former President Joko Widodo, his son and current Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and his son-in-law Bobby Nasution from the party.

“My designation as a suspect was leaked to the media on the morning of December 24, 2024, before any official announcement was made that evening,” Hasto said.

He argued that the case against him is politically motivated and intended as retaliation for his criticism of the former president. Hasto also questioned the nearly five-year gap between the charges brought against Harun and those now leveled at him.

He urged the court to issue a preliminary ruling to halt the trial, release him unconditionally, and restore his good name.

The KPK has denied any political motives in the case, saying that the charges against Hasto are based on recent evidence uncovered during the ongoing investigation.