Respond to Public Doubts

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Members of the Corruption Eradication Commission’s supervisory council (Dewas KPK) greet journalists before reading the oath of office witnessed by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (20/12/2019). President Joko Widodo decided to appoint Artidjo Alkostar (from left to right), Harjono, Syamsuddin Haris, Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, and Albertina Ho as Dewas KPK members. The establishment of the KPK Supervisory Board is mandated by Law No. 19/2019 concerning the KPK.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has entered a new era. The KPK supervisory council, the members of which were inaugurated on Friday, is now the new ruler at the antigraft commission.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inaugurated members of the KPK supervisory council, namely Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean as chief, alongside former Supreme Court justice Artidjo Alkoster, judge Albertina Hoo, Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) chair Harjono and Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) senior researcher Syamsuddin Haris. The five KPK leaders, comprising Comr. Gen. Firli Bahuri and deputy chairs, were inaugurated at the State Palace on Friday, 20 December 2019.

We appreciate President Jokowi’s decision to appoint figures with relatively good track records as members of the KPK supervisory board. When he was Supreme Court justice, Artidjo was famed for his “no-nonsense” attitude in the face of corruptors. His corruption eradication commitment should not be doubted. However, after Artidjo left his position, the Supreme Court saw a decline of sentences against corruptors.

It will be wise to give the new KPK leaders and supervisory council members an opportunity to prove their mettle.

It will be wise to give the new KPK leaders and supervisory council members an opportunity to prove their mettle. Let them work to prove that the widespread doubts, including those from anticorruption activists and the general public that KPK Law was revised to weaken the KPK, were wrong. The public awaits the work of KPK leaders and supervisory council members to clean the nation from corruption, which, according to former presidential candidate and current Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, is in stage IV. However, before starting their work at the KPK, the supervisory council members must immediately let go of their positions at other offices.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Members of the Corruption Eradication Commission’s supervisory council (Dewas KPK) greet journalists before reading the oath of office witnessed by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (20/12/2019). President Joko Widodo decided to appoint Artidjo Alkostar (from left to right), Harjono, Syamsuddin Haris, Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, and Albertina Ho as Dewas KPK members. The establishment of the KPK Supervisory Board is mandated by Law No. 19/2019 concerning the KPK.

A huge challenge lies ahead for the supervisory council members. They are figures known for their good track record, but they are working on a fragile stage. Quoting a panelist at Kompas TV’s Satu Meja program, the supervisory council is filled with top notch performers singing on a fragile stage. The fragile stage comprises Law No. 19/2019 on the KPK, which is the new KPK Law post-revision, which places the supervisory council as the new leaders of the KPK who are neither investigators nor prosecutors.

Law No. 19/2019 has some substantial inherent weaknesses that can hinder corruption eradication, including placing the KPK within executive power. One example is wiretapping that must get a written permit from the supervisory board and be preceded with a case expose. With such a construction, it will be difficult for the KPK to conduct sting operations. Case expose presumes that there are suspects, while wiretapping can only be held during investigations. All legal actions of wiretapping, asset seizures and raids must be permitted by the supervisory board.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

The leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for 2019-2023 period read the oath of office witnessed directly by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (20/12/2019). The five KPK leaders selected by the government together with the House of Representatives (DPR) are (from left to right) Firli Bahuri, Nawawi Pomolango, Lili Pintauli Siregar, Nurul Ghufron, and Alexander Marwata. In their oath of office, they promised to maintain independence. They also promised to remain firm in carrying out the duties and authorities mandated by the law.

Regardless of the design flaws of the new KPK Law, we hope that the KPK’s progressiveness in corruption eradication is not reduced. We thank the 2015-2019 leaders of the KPK for their contribution in cleaning the nation of corruption and uncovering mega-corruption cases. KPK investigators, including Novel Baswedan, has had to suffer from acid attacks and the state cannot yet find out the perpetrators!