National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Agus Rahardjo, the chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), clench their hands together after speaking at a press conference following a closed meeting at the KPK building in Jakarta on Monday (19/6).
A member of the Inquiry Committee of the House of Representatives (DPR), Misbakhun, has threatened not to provide a budget to the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The reason: They do not respect the House.
It seems political threat sare the latest trend. Earlier, another member of the inquiry committee threatened the use of force if Miriam S Haryani, a House member of the Hanura Party faction who is detained by the KPK, does not meet the committee’s summons.
KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo sent a letter to the House saying that he could not present Miriam, because the House summons interferes with the law enforcement process. The KPK said the House inquiry committee’s summoning Miriam was an attempt to block the due process of law.
Upon this letter from the KPK, the inquiry committee requested the Indonesian National Police to make an effort to seize Miriam by force. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said he was not able to meet the request of the inquiry committee, because no legal process existed for a forcible seizure for a "political tribunal". In reaction to the stances of the KPK and the National Police, inquiry committee member Misbakhun threatened not to provide a budget to the police or the KPK.
These political threats show how the House is using its power, including its right of inquiry, to protect its own interests. The investigation into the electronic ID card case, which indicates the involvement of a number of House members, is a real threat to the House.
The KPK is not without its mistakes. However, the level of public confidence in the KPK is still higher than the trust in political parties and the House. The presence of KPK is still perceived to be useful in eradication corruption with a series of red-handed arrest operations. Corruption eradication by the KPK is the ideal of reform to reduce rampant corruption practices in the country.
Political threats as a model of the House’s defense mechanism clearly falls far from Pancasila values, which were lately reiterated by President Joko Widodo. The threat made by a House member to not provide a budget to the KPK and the National Police is childish politics that will be friendlier toward self-enriching corruptors. In not providing a budget to the police and the KPK, the two [law enforcement] institutions will be paralyzed while the corruptors and criminals of this earth will cheer.
There is no need for the House members to make threats, including with the political budget. The House should be introspecting as to why its public image is bad. The state budget is not money belonging to the House. It is the people\'s money collected from taxes and non-tax state revenues.
If there are differences in perspective, resolve them through the constitutional mechanism, as was done by a number of people who appealed to the Constitutional Court to provide a legal opinion on the right of inquiry into the KPK.
