Cleansing University Campuses of “Rats”

KOMPAS/SUSANA RITA KUMALASANTI

Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) show evidence in the form of cash, deposits, and savings books in the operation to arrest the rector of the University of Lampung Karomani and three other suspects at a press conference on Sunday (21/8/2022).

University campuses are deemed places of a good society. This was shattered by the arrest of the Lampung University rector.

The university campus, which is known as a place of virtue (virtus), has been polluted with corruption (corruptio). In fact, it is in these institutions that the country’s best human resources should be born.

On Friday Aug. 19 at around 9 p.m., the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Lampung University rector KRM for allegedly accepting bribes for new student admissions through Lampung University’s independent system (Simanila). KRM was arrested alongside HY (deputy rector 1 for academics), MB (chairman of the senate), BS (planning and public relations bureau head), AF (dean of the engineering faculty), ML (lecturer), AT (adjutant to the rector) and AD (a family member of the student registered in Simanila).

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After a thorough investigation, sufficient preliminary evidence was found. On Saturday Aug. 20, the KPK also named KRM a suspect in a bribery and gratification case, along with HY, MB and AD.

The chronological report of the KPK showed that this practice was done systematically. KRM instructed HY, BS and MB to collect money from the parents of students who needed to graduate. The money collected from the parents was no small amount either, ranging from Rp 100 million to Rp 350 million.

This was what AD did. He contacted KRM to pay the bribe for helping his family member graduate. On orders from KRM, MB then took a deposit of Rp 150 million from AD in Lampung.

KOMPAS/VINA OKTAVIA

The University of Lampung gave a press statement regarding the determination of the three leaders at the state higher education institution, Sunday (21/8/2022).

KRM had received around Rp 603 million from MB. The KPK also found money from MB and BS from a number of other parents, which was transferred to a savings account, exchanged for gold and others, amounting to a total of Rp 4.4 billion. The evidence collected includes cash, deposit slips, time deposits, ATM cards, savings books as well as keys to a safe deposit box filled with gold.

The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry expressed concern and hopes that this incident will be the last in all state universities. It should serve as a valuable lesson for all state university leaders and their staff. However, this response is not enough. There needs to be concrete steps in correcting all university campuses. This case should create the momentum to cleanse corrupt practices in universities and to root and build a transparent system.

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Corruption in educational institutions has already taken root. A study by watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) revealed that from 2016 to 2021, there were 240 cases of corruption in education, resulting in state losses of Rp 1.6 trillion.

The KPK needs to cooperate with the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) to encourage victims to be brave enough to become whistleblowers and disclose all the cases that have occurred. Thus, we can capture all the “rats” in university campuses so they can return as places of virtus.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.