JAKARTA, KOMPAS – History shows that efforts to combat corruption in Indonesia have always been disrupted. The government\'s commitment is key to handling such disruptions, as is currently being experienced by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
The anti-graft body, as disclosed by KPK deputy chairman Saut Situmorang on Monday (25/9) in Jakarta, is continuing its work and is unaffected by prevailing disruptions, including that triggered by the dynamics of the House of Representatives Special Inquiry Committee.
The KPK is not the first institution formed by the government to combat corruption. However, former KPK leader Bambang Widjojanto noted that several anticorruption institutions of the past were eventually dissolved. One of the reasons were because they "touched upon and disturbed" the interests of power.
This condition was experienced by the Budhi Operation, which was established during the Old Order era and the Commission of Four at the beginning of the New Order era. The Budhi Operation was formed by Presidential Decree No. 275 Year 1963.
The operation, which was led by AH Nasution, was in charge of bringing corruptors to court. However, their efforts started to become politicized and fell under suspicion after the arrest of Harsono Reksoatmodjo, a director at state-owned trading company Perusahaan Dagang Negara.
The Budhi Operation was dissolved and replaced by the Retooling High Command of the Revolution (Kontrar) led by president Soekarno. However, this command stopped operations because of a lack of resources.
Meanwhile, first vice president Mohammad Hatta was appointed as an advisor to the Commission of Four led by Wilopo. About six months after its formation in January 1970, the commission managed to make a number of findings and recommendations on suspected corruption in the Religious Affairs Ministry, state logistics agency Bulog, state telecommunications company Telkom, and state oil and gas company Pertamina. However, the government pursued no clear follow-up to the recommendations. The Commission of Four was dissolved in July the same year it was formed.
At the beginning of the Reform era, a joint team for corruption eradication was formed. Before its dissolution, the team uncovered indications of bribery by a crooked justice official in the case of state electricity company PLN.
The dissolution of several anticorruption institutions in the past, according to Bambang, occurred because corruption is an organized crime. "Those involved in the corruption chain work in groups. Therefore, if one of them is affected, the other members would take action. This was seen in the case of the electronic ID card corruption case," he said.
Advantages
However, according to Bambang, the KPK had more advantages compared to their predecessors. These advantages lie in the infrastructure, which are better prepared.
"This [the KPK] is the best at present. It is institutionalized well, has its own law, and its scope of work is clear, and the results can be measured. The enforcement of the law is also not affected by certain parties. This is the most important thing here, so that existing cases can be well and properly settled," said Anhar Gonggong, a University of Indonesia historian.
The current position of the KPK, said Anhar, was different from anticorruption committees or teams established of the past, which were frequently set up without any clear authority or mandates.
Looking at the history of anticorruption institutions before the KPK, Fachry Ali, a political observer at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, believed that the KPK had a chance to survive. This was because the present condition differs from the Old Order and New Order eras, as power is divided today.
"With the division of power, the KPK has more strength to articulate a number of efforts and support to eradicate corruption," Fachry said.
However, the government’s commitment and the political elite still remain critical factors for the KPK’s survival. The end of past anticorruption institutions was caused mainly by the loss of political support from the central authority.
In relation to this, Sidarto Danusubroto, a member of the Presidential Advisory Council, stressed that the government supported the strengthening of the KPK because the institution was still badly needed.
President Joko Widodo has signaled his direct support for the KPK several times. However, according to Bambang, the intension to strengthen the KPK and eradicate corruption cannot be given only through signs, but must be made through real steps. He hoped the President would immediately stop all attempts to weaken or dissolve the KPK.
Separately, senior lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said that internally, the KPK needed to clean up and maintain its solidity. The KPK has to cooperate with civil society, with both anticorruption groups and the general public.
At the same time, Todung said, the independence that was another key factor for the KPK’s survival and combating corruption must also be maintained. In order to secure the KPK\'s independence, ideally, each investigator at the KPK had to free themselves from the interests of their institutions of origin, including investigators from the police and the prosecutors\' office. They simply work for the KPK, to fight corruption.
(IAN/NTA/REK/MDN/AGE/SAN)
