National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian (left) is accompanied by deputy police chief Comr. Gen. Syafruddin as he takes part in a hearing with the House Commission III in the Legislative Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (12/10). The hearing discussed the coordination between the National Police and other law enforcement institutions, the formation of an anticorruption special detachment and the handling of several big cases related to terrorism, corruption and drugs.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla have a different stance over the National Police’s plan to set up a special anticorruption detachment. The Vice President was against the plan to create the new anticorruption team.
The President, through his special communication staff Johan Budi SP, however, did not openly oppose the creation of the police’s special anticorruption detachment (Densus Tipikor). The President expected the Densus Tipikor to synergize with other agencies to expedite corruption eradication.
“The concern of the President is that the anticorruption detachment must expedite the corruption eradication effort,” said Johan at Bina Graha in the State Palace complex in Jakartaon Tuesday (17/10).
Regarding the different stance of the President and Vice President, Paramadina University political communication observer Hendri Satrio said it could trigger political uproar.
“State officials who have ideas need to report to the President first and discuss them in a Cabinet meeting before revealing them to the public. The President and Vice President need to restrain from making comments; this is to give the government one voice,” he said.
Regarding the plan to setup Densus Tipikor, Johan said the President’s focus is to expedite corruption eradication efforts. For the President, Johan said, the most important thing is that Densus Tipikor can work together, synergize and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, either the prosecutors’ offices or the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Creating fear
Vice President Kalla said the plan to create Police’s Densus Tipikor is too premature, adding that at the moment, there is no need to set up a new team for corruption eradication. “In fact, the police and the prosecutors’ office can carry out their duties. There is no need to have a new team. The existing teams can do it,” Kalla said.
He said the KPK, police and prosecutors could be empowered, and that is why it would be better to focus corruption eradication on those agencies.
Kalla said the creation of Densus Tipikor would potentially trigger fear because there was the opinion that everyone could be arrested for corruption, anywhere and anytime. Due to such fears, bureaucracy would slow and hamper public service. “The corruption eradication issue must not trigger fear among policy makers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, which is pushing for the National Police to establish Densus Tipikor, is still divided on the matter. Several House factions objected to the plan, arguing that it would weaken the KPK. Such anxiety emerged because some House factions wanted Densus Tipikor to replace the KPK as an anticorruption agency.
Gerindra Party faction chairman Ahmad Muzani said he opposed Densus Tipikor and a plan for the prosecutors’ taskforce from the Attorney General’s Office to assist the squad because the country already has the KPK. “In the end, the state budget would be spent on activities that have been conducted by other agencies,” said Muzani, who is also secretary-general of the Gerindra Party.
Also, he is concerned that if the plan is realized, those three law enforcement agencies will overlap. “The main issue is that corruption eradication would not be properly conducted. But there would be another problem because the three agencies may fight for dominance,” he said.
United Development Party secretary-general Arsul Sani also disagreed should the KPK be sidelined by Densus Tipikor. Arsul said the prosecutors’ office, the police and the KPK must jointly fight corruption.
Nevertheless, House Commission III member Eddy Kusuma Wijaya of the PDI-P faction said the commission supports the creation of Densus Tipikor because the KPK is too slow in promoting graft reforms in both agencies.
“Later, the KPK could focus on taking on a coordinating role; supervision and corruption prevention. Meanwhile, the prosecution role is given to the Densus and the prosecutors’ taskforce,” he said.
The plan to create Densus Tipikor by House Commission III coincides with the House’s inquiry into the KPK.
House Commission III member Taufiqulhadi of the Nasdem Party said the plan to setup Densus Tipikor and to weaken the KPK has been in discussion for some time. “It is impossible for us [the House inquiry committee] to go off track,” said Taufiqulhadi, who is also deputy chairman of the House Inquiry Committee.
The Golkar Party people’s welfare coordinator Roem Kono conceded that his faction was the first to propose the creation of Densus Tipikor. Currently, several Golkar Party elites and cadres are implicated in corruption cases. “Do not get it wrong. This is a good idea, indeed,” Roem said.
Separately, KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said there is no need to be separated over the plan to create Densus Tipikor. “If we talk about corruption, the more agencies to deal with corruption eradication, the better, right? The KPK can carry out a particular duty and Densus can perform another,” Agus said.
