The decision of the Supervisory Council of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to issue a light sanction against KPK deputy chairwoman Lili Pintauli Siregar has torn apart the sense of justice.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
Deputy Chairperson of the Corruption Eradication Commission Lili Pintauli Siregar
The lenient sanction of a 40 percent pay cut for 12 months is incomparable to Lili\'s improper behavior. Lili deserves to be demanded that she resign as the KPK deputy chair because she has actually lost her legitimacy, both morally and ethically, as part of the KPK leadership.
Lili\'s act of contacting an individual under KPK investigation and directing him to seek legal counsel is difficult for common sense to accept. Based on the findings of the KPK Supervisory Council, Lili was proven to have contacted Tanjungbalai Mayor M. Syahrial and inform him that the KPK had a case against him. Lili then directed Syahrial to seek out the legal advisor she referred him to. The council also found that Lili had used her influence to obtain fees for a relative who was a former acting president director of PDAM Tirta Kualo Tanjungbalai, a regional tap water company.
Lili\'s actions are not only ethics violation, but also have criminal potential under Article 36 of the KPK Law, which prohibits KPK leaders from having any contact with suspects. The article carries a penalty of five years in prison. Lili\'s case is alleged to have a criminal element.
In light of this serious violation, Lili was sanctioned with a 40 percent salary cut for a year. With the monthly salary of KPK deputy chair amounting to Rp 4.6 million, Lili\'s yearly income has decreased by just Rp 22.8 million. She still receives an income of around Rp 89 million per month. It is very lenient.
Kompas
The Supervisory Board of the Corruption Eradication Commission, led by the Chairperson of the KPK Council, Tumpak H Panggabean, held an ethics violation trial against KPK Deputy Chair Lili Pintauli Siregar, Monday (30/8/2021), at the KPK Supervisory Board Building, Jakarta.
The light sanction is certain to become a heavy burden for the KPK. Earlier, KPK chairman Firli Bahuri received a light sanction from the KPK Supervisory Council for using a chartered helicopter to travel to his hometown. With these two elements of the KPK leadership proven to have committed ethics violations, the credibility of the reformed commission could potentially collapse in the eyes of the public.
Not to mention the fact that the KPK employees who have worked hard to eradicate corruption and risked their lives to expose corruption cases are being dismissed by the KPK leadership on the grounds that they do not meet the civil service requirements. They were given a failing grade in the civic knowledge test (TWK) in a process that, according to the National Human Rights Commission (HAM), violated human rights.
The public can only conclude that KPK employees who have worked hard to eradicate corruption will be dismissed, while those KPK leaders who leaked information on corruption investigations conducted by their subordinates will only be punished with a reduced salary. This is extremely unfair.
Rather than becoming a burden for history and on the KPK, and for the sake of taking responsibility, tendering her resignation as a KPK leader is the best option. The KPK’s burden in eradicating corruption will become very heavy if its leaders are publicly proven to be dirty. As the old saying goes, if you want to clean the floor, don\'t use a dirty broom.
