The credibility of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is being tested. The KPK Supervisory Board (Dewas) and the KPK leadership are inextricable organs of the anti-graft body.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro
Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri prepares to attend a work meeting with Commission III of the DPR at the Parliament Building Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday (14/9/2020).
The credibility of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is being tested. The KPK Supervisory Board (Dewas) and the KPK leadership are inextricable organs of the anti-graft body.
The test commenced in June, when KPK chairman Firli Bahuri chartered a helicopter, reportedly for personal use. KPK deputy chair Alexander Marwata explained that Firli took the chartered helicopter to travel from Palembang to Baturaja in South Sumatra for the sake of efficiency, as Firli had only one day’s leave. Firli paid for the chartered helicopter using his own money.
The commission’s supervisory board was scheduled to issue a decision on the Firli ethics case on Tuesday (15/9/2020), but postponed its decision until next week (Kompas, 15-16/9/2020).
Even though the Dewas is an integral part of the KPK structure as stipulated in Law No. 19/2019 on the KPK, neither the board nor the leadership of the commission, in particular Firli, should be acting to protect each other. While employing the principle of the presumption of innocence, the Dewas must identify any mistakes the KPK chairman has made and impose the appropriate sanction. Firli, on the other hand, must prove that he has not committed any wrongdoings or violated any rules of the KPK, including the KPK code of ethics.
The weeklong postponement of the Supervisory Board’s decision in the Firli case has raised suspicions among the public. Moreover, the records of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) show that this is not the first time that Firli has been alleged of violating the KPK’s ethics code, whether in his current position as the KPK chair or in his former post as the commission’s law enforcement deputy. Firli has never been subjected to any sanctions.
KPK Supervisory Board members Albertina Ho (left) and Syamsuddin Haris (right) prepare to attend an ethics hearing at the Anti-Corruption Education Center Building, Jakarta, September 8, 2020. The KPK Supervisory Board held a continuation of an ethical hearing regarding the use of helicopters by KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri.
In fact, on looking at the current composition of the KPK Supervisory Board, there are high hopes that the board will issue a decision that corresponds with the public’s sense of justice. The members of Dewas – Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, Harjono, Artidjo Alkostar, Albertina Ho, and Syamsuddin Haris – all have good track records in law enforcement, ethics, and corruption eradication, as well as the public’s trust. However, public trust in the KPK has been on a declining trend since KPK law revision No. 19/2019 was passed.
An opinion poll conducted by the Kompas Research and Development unit, the results of which were published on 23 June 2020, showed that just 54.9 percent of respondents had a positive impression of and trusted the KPK. Meanwhile, just 35.9 percent of respondents were satisfied with the KPK\'s performance in corruption eradication. In fact, the results of a previous poll published in January 2020 showed that 76.8 percent of respondents had a positive impression of and trusted the KPK, while 56.9 percent were satisfied with the KPK’s performance in corruption eradication.
It is now time for the KPK Supervisory Board, leadership and employees, as well as the government, to restore public trust.
No member of the commission, its Supervisory Board or its staff is an angel. They are only human, and can make mistakes. Several KPK employees and investigators have been prosecuted. Neither is the KPK leadership free from becoming embroiled in matters of legality. However, as an institution that handles extraordinary crimes, anyone who works at the KPK, never mind its leaders, must be trustworthy. They should be models in their speech and behavior. The KPK must maintain its credibility, which should be its top priority.
