President Joko Widodo greets Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo and deputy chairmen Basaria Panjaitan, Alexander Marwata and Saut Situmorang at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday. In the meeting, the KPK leaders provided input for the President on corruption prevention and eradication in Indonesia.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Amid the polemic over the use of the inquiry right by the House of Representatives (DPR) against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the commission\'s leadership met with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. In the meeting, the President expressed his full support for the KPK\'s actions.
"I strongly support the steps taken by the KPK, in any case. Especially the efforts of the KPK in encouraging the establishment of a government that is clean, has integrity and is free from corruption," said President Jokowi in the meeting with four of the five KPK leaders at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Friday (5/5).
The four KPK leaders who met the President on Friday were Agus Rahardjo, Basaria Pandjaitan, Alexander Marwata and Saut Situmorang. Upon arrival at the Credential Room of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, at 10:22 a.m., they were immediately greeted by President Jokowi, who was accompanied by State Secretary Pratikno and Presidential Spokesman Johan Budi SP.
When meeting the KPK leadership, the President also stated that the government needed the KPK’s support in the effort to eradicate corruption in government institutions or agencies. The KPK is also needed to build good governance.
Assessment results
The Board of Expertise of the House (BKD) of the secretariat general of DPR has completed the results of assessment related to the requirements for the formation of the inquiry committee. The assessment is carried out primarily after six of the 10 factions in the DPR said they would not send their members to the committee in question against the KPK. The six factions are the Golkar Party, Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), United Development Party and National Mandate Party.
Actually, Article 201 Paragraph (2) of Law No. 17 of 2014 on the People\'s Consultative Assembly (MPR), DPR, Regional Representatives Council (DPD), and Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) or MD3 states the membership of the committee consists of all elements of the House factions.
When contacted in Jakarta on Friday, BKD chairman Johnson Rajagukguk said, the assessment related to the requirements for the formation of the inquiry committee had been carried out and would soon be submitted to the leadership of the House. "Assessing the requirements for the formation of a special committee is not too difficult," said Johnson.
This is not the first time Johnson had been asked by the House leadership to assess something related to the KPK. In February, he was also ordered by the House leadership to conduct familiarization in relation to the revision of Law No. 30 of 2002 on KPK to a number of universities. The familiarization discourse on the revision of the KPK law was opposed by anticorruption activists.
Assessing the requirements for the formation of a special committee is not too difficult.
House Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah, who is also one of the proposers of the inquiry right, said the BKD had submitted the results of the assessment to him orally, but not yet in written form. According to the BKP assessment, the inquiry committee can still be realized even if the number of the special committee members does not reach 30 people and from all factions.
According to Fahri, the most important requirement for the inquiry committee is not the recommendation of members of each faction but the agreement in the plenary meeting to approve the proposal to grant inquiry rights. The plenary meeting to approve the inquiry right proposal was held on April 28, even though it was colored by various irregularities.
"Therefore, the meaning of the phrase of all factions in Article 201 in the MD3 Law means that the opportunity for all factions must meet the principle of justice. If they do not want to send members, it means they do not want to use their rights," said Fahri.
Separately, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said the KPK had received input from a number of legal experts that the special committee should be attended by representatives of all factions. "The special committee has to be formed from all factions," Febri said.
Related to this, the KPK appreciated the stance of six factions in the DPR that refused to send their members to the inquiry committee. The KPK will see the consistency from the stance of the factions.
Febri also disclosed, KPK investigator, Novel Baswedan, who is still being treated at a hospital in Singapore after falling victim to an acid attack by an unknown person, hoped that every House member who wanted to eradicate corruption consistently rejected the implementation of inquiry rights against the KPK.
Input
KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said the implementation of inquiry rights against the KPK was not discussed in the meeting with President Jokowi. "We did not talk about the case at all. We came to give input on the many laws and regulations that may be revised," he said.
The corruption laws in the private sector can really shape the character of the nation, the behavior of the nation.
Presidential Spokesman Johan Budi SP said the meeting, which was carried out at the request of the KPK leadership, discussed a number of issues, such as governance and system improvement.
Among the input presented by the KPK leadership in the meeting was the need for the establishment of corruption laws in the private sector. According to Agus, based on the experiences of a number of countries, corruption laws in the private sector can change the corrupt culture of society, especially the private sector. "The corruption laws in the private sector can really shape the character of the nation, the behavior of the nation," he said.
With the enactment of the corruption legislation in the private sector, Agus said, gratification and bribery were no longer part of society. "Because, anybody who receives and grants gratification can be charged under the law," he said.
Saut added that the KPK could not handle gratification or corruption cases carried out in the private sector. This is because the prevailing Corruption Law only regulates corruption or bribery by state officials.
In reality, 70 percent of the economy in Indonesia is sustained by the private sector. "If in their business [private sector] is very transactional, what country would it be? Therefore, it is important for the existence of the corruption laws in private sector," said Saut.
