Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) head Moermahadi Soerja Djanegara (center) walks with House of Representatives special inquiry committee chairman Agun Gunanjar (right) before a meeting between the two bodies at the BPK office in Jakarta, Tuesday (4/7). The House inquiry committee arrived to consult the agency and study the audit report on the KPK’s finances.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Various parties continue to support the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in facing maneuvers by the House of Representatives\' (DPR) inquiry committee.
The KPK should not get involved in the inquiry motion, which is full of controversy.
To demonstrate support for the KPK, the Coalition of Civil Society Against the Inquiry into the KPK will stage a rally outside the KPK building on Wednesday (5/7). Support for the KPK has also come from 357 professors from several universities, artists and others.
Meanwhile, the University of Indonesia Alumni Association (Iluni) and the student executive body plan to demonstrate at the House on July 7. “We want to convey our aspirations. As a moral movement, we want to appeal to the lawmakers to reconsider the inquiry motion. Corruption must be eradicated through an empowered agency,” Iluni chairman Arief B. Hardono said. The step is being taken because the forming of a House inquiry committee is an attempt to weaken the KPK, he said.
Iluni law school spokesman Julius Ibrani said the KPK should shun the inquiry. “If it is summoned [by the committee], it should not attend. It should not respond to any of it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the House inquiry committee yesterday met with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). Tomorrow, the inquiry committee plans to interview graft convicts at the Sukamiskin and Pondok Bambu prisons.
Report
During a three-hour closed-door meeting at the BPK office, House inquiry committee members received an explanation about the agency’s audit reports on the KPK for the 2006-2016 periods. After the meeting, BPK chairman Moermahadi Soerja Djanegara presented the reports to inquiry committee chairman Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa of the Golkar Party faction.
Soerja said the financial audit into the KPK handed over to the inquiry committee included financial, performance and special-purpose audits.
Agun said the inquiry committee found indications of financial irregularities by the KPK during the 2015-2016 periods. Although the KPK audit was given an unqualified opinion by the BPK for that period, Agun said it was only an opinion that did not guarantee the KPK’s compliance with financial management.
“We found one or two indications of KPK noncompliance. The BPK audit is administrative. So we want to see if the KPK has followed the BPK\'s recommendations,” Agun said after the meeting.
Moreover, he said, the inquiry committee will meet the administrative and bureaucratic reform minister and the communication and information minister to dig deeper into the alleged irregularities.
Inquiry committee member Masinton Pasaribu of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the inquiry motion would lead to a recommendation to review the existence of the KPK. “If the [KPK as an] institution is not right, what can we do?” he said.
KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah did not deny some BPK findings regarding the KPK financial audit. However, he said everything had been explained to the BPK and there were no more issues.
The KPK has expressed appreciation for the support of several parties. Febri said the KPK’s response in mid-June regarding the request to present Hanura Party politician Miryam S. Haryani before the inquiry committee demonstrated the KPK\'s stance. At that time, the KPK stated that the House inquiry committee’s request to question Miryam could be considered as obstruction of justice.
Febri said the KPK respected the House and therefore, every request by the House would be responded to in writing. “If there are other letters, we will respond to them with letters,” he said.
Investigation
The KPK will continue to investigate alleged corruption in the 2009-2014 procurement of electronic identity (e-ID) cards. During the investigation into the Rp 5.9 trillion project, the KPK yesterday questioned three House members. They were Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey and House member Malik Haramain.
Ganjar, Olly and Malik were questioned regarding their connection to e-ID graft suspect Andi Agustinus. They were also questioned about bribes allegedly paid in relation to the e-ID project.
The three denied accepting money from the e-ID project. Malik, who was questioned for the first time in the case, said although at that time he was chairman of National Awakening Party faction at House Commission II, he was never offered nor accepted US$37,000 as claimed in news reports.
Meanwhile, the dossier on Miryam regarding false information in the investigation of the e-ID project was handed over to the corruption court on Monday.
