Several activists from a number of interfaith communities stage a rally in Semarang, Central Java, on Wednesday (21/6) to protest efforts to weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The activists supported all efforts to eradicate corruption by the KPK and urged the House of Representatives to dissolve the special committee of inquiry into the antigraft body.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Although a proposal to freeze the budgets of the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2018 has only come from individual members of an inquiry committee of the House of Representatives (DPR), the committee is nevertheless considering it as a way to impose sanctions.
If the House freezes the KPK and police budgets, both institutions fear it will disrupt their activities.
Risa Mariska, a deputy chairperson of the inquiry committee who is a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that the committee had yet to make any decision on the recommendation.
"If there is discussion on the matter it is by individual members. It comes from committee members. It is not a decision of the inquiry committee," Risa said in the House building complex in Jakarta on Wednesday. "It was raised in the meeting, but it has not been approved by the committee.”
Disturbing
The head of public relations for the police, Gen. Setyo Wasisto, said a budget freeze would really disturb the activities of the police.
"There has been no formal decision on the plan to freeze the police budget. However, if it turns out to be true, it would be very harmful and disrupt the activities of the police," he said.
Meanwhile, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said a budget freeze would also seriously affect the antigraft agency’s ability to eradicate corruption and enforce the law. "The public will be disadvantaged if law enforcement stops working or slows down," Febri said.
A researcher from the Forum for Budget Transparency, Gurnadi, said the threat to freeze the budgets of the police and the KPK reflected a childish attitude among the members of the inquiry committee.
"If the proposal is approved, the public would be harmed because the police will not be able to optimally ensure security,” Gurnadi said.
Until now, the inquiry committee is still trying to use Law No. 17/2014 on the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), the House of Representatives, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) to summon former lawmaker Miryam S. Haryani, who has been detained by the KPK.
According to the committee, the law allows it to ask the KPK three times to release Miryam to testify. However, the committee claims, if on the third request the KPK still refuses to deliver her, the committee can request the police forcibly take Miryam from the KPK.
Miryam, a Hanura Party member, has been named a suspect in a case of alleged corruption involving the procurement of electronic ID cards. She has been detained by the KPK since May 1 after she was accused of providing false testimony about the case as a witness in court.
The KPK rejected the inquiry committee’s first request on the grounds that allowing Miryam to testify could hinder the legal process against her.
Taken to court
The KPK said it would soon send Miryam’s case to court. According Febri, the KPK’s refusal to release Miryam to the inquiry committee indicated its serious commitment to continue her legal process. He said the evidence against her will be unveiled in court.
Febri said that all matters, whether those related to perjury charges or to whether third parties applied pressure to influence her testimony, cannot be dealt with separately, but can only be disclosed in court, including the statements she made under oath during the e-ID trial.
However, another deputy chairperson of the inquiry committee, Dossy Iskandar, who represents the Hanura Party, said the committee plans to send a second summons for Miryam to the KPK after the Idul Fitri holiday.
"We just want to clarify the truth of a letter from Miryam that states she never received any pressure from House members. So even though the file of Miryam\'s case will be soon handed to court, that will not change our plan to summon her," said Dossy.
According to Risa, the inquiry committee also plans to invite the police chief to clarify his statement that the House cannot ask for police assistance to forcibly take people who ignore a summons from the committee.
The police chief, Gen. Tito Karnavian, said earlier that unclear legal procedures would be an obstacle for the police to accede to the committee’s request to force Miryam to answer the summons.
