Much Housework Remains

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan wears a detention vest for questioning at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building in South Jakarta on Wednesday (15/1/2020). The KPK also questioned former Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) member ATF, HAR and SAE for alleged bribery related to the replacement of a House of Representatives member. The KPK also confiscated Rp 400 million (US$29,381) in Singapore dollars as evidence.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Indonesia’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2019 improved slightly compared to 2018. Nevertheless, a lot of housework still remains to rid Indonesia of corruption, such as by maintaining corruption eradication efforts that is believed to have suffered a setback following the revision of Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Law No. 19/2019.

The investigation into the bribery case on the replacement of a lawmaker that involves General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan and a former legislative candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Harun Masiku, is an important test of corruption eradication in Indonesia.

Syamsuddin Haris of the KPK Supervisory Council said in Jakarta on Thursday (23/1/2020), during a Transparency International Indonesia (TII) event on Indonesia’s CPI, that criticisms and pressure from the public and civil organizations were an important safeguard in maintaining the spirit of fighting corruption in the country. The government, political parties and the KPK should be "barked at" continuously.

Indonesia\'s CPI score increased slightly in 2019 to 40 from 38 in 2018, which increased Indonesia’s ranking to 85th from 89th out of 180 countries. A score of 0 means “highly corrupt” and 100 means “very clean”.

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Firli Bahuri wears a chef uniform as he shows off his cooking skills during a get-together with KPK members, the KPK supervisory council, KPK employees and media people in Jakarta on Monday (20/1/2020). The event was attended by KPK members Nawawi Pomolango, Nurul Ghufron, Alexander Marwata and Lili Pintauli Siregar; KPK supervisory council members Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, Artidjo Alkostar, Syamsuddin Haris, Albertina Ho and Harjono as well as KPK public relations head Febri Diansyah and acting spokespersons Ali Fikri and Ipi Maryati.

Biggest challenge

TII secretary-general Dadang Tri Sasongko said that the revised KPK Law was the biggest present challenge to Indonesia’s corruption eradication efforts. The revised law, according to him, was a sign of the government\'s weak commitment to eradicating corruption. It also contradicted the government agenda to attract more foreign investment to spur economic growth.

Dadang explained that the majority of respondents of the TII survey were investors and entrepreneurs. "Weakening the efforts of corruption eradication amid the deregulation in business and investment poses risks," he said.

Researcher Ahmad Khoirul Imam of the Paramadina Public Policy Institute said that strong political will was the key to the success of the anti-corruption movement. Ironically, current support for the anti-corruption effort had declined.

The direction of the government’s anti-corruption policy is clear.

According to law and regulation director Prahesti Pandanwangi of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), the government’s corruption eradication aspects policies and strategies in the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan would focus on preventing corruption and optimizing asset recovery and management mechanisms.

"The direction of the government’s anti-corruption policy is clear. Indeed, we can see this in its stance on prevention, but it\'s the best we can do. All sectors must be involved in anti-corruption, not only in terms of law enforcement, but also in how to prevent it," she said.

Prahesti stressed that the government was not wearing kacamata kuda (blinders) as regards criticism and control from the public and civil society groups.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

An activist from the Coalition of Anticorruption Civil Society shows a document after reporting Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly obstructing an investigation into a bribery case that has implicated Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Harun Masiku at the KPK building in Jakarta on Thursday (23/1/2020). Yasonna allegedly gave false information by saying Harun was overseas. His statement contradicted information from the immigration office that Harun has been in the country since Jan. 7.

Yasonna reported to KPK

The Anti-Corruption Civil Society Coalition has reported Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly to the KPK for allegedly obstructing the bribery investigation into the replacement of a lawmaker that allegedly involves Wahyu Setiawan and Harun Masiku.

Suspicions emerged when Yasonna made an error in the information on Harun’s whereabouts. Yasonna stated on 16 Jan. 2020 that Harun had been abroad since 6 Jan. 2020. However, on Wednesday (22/1), officials from the immigration office, which falls under the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, changed their statement, saying that Harun had returned to Indonesia on Tuesday, 7 Jan., the day before the KPK arrested Wahyu.

Indonesian Corruption Watch researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said that Yasonna had provided false information when the investigation into the bribery case began on 9 Jan. 2020. Therefore, Yasonna should be suspected of obstruction of justice as stipulated in Article 21 of the KPK Law, which carried a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

"Actually, it\'s simple. It [the justice ministry] only needed to check CCTV footage from the airport’s international arrivals hall. The two-week span is not enough to justify the reason provided by the Immigration Directorate General," Kurnia said.

Sooner or later, we will catch him

Advocacy deputy coordinator Putri Kanesia of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said that Yasonna should provide valid information, not unclear information to be clarified later.

Meanwhile, KPK chairman Firli Bahuri said that the commission was still looking for Harun. Various efforts had been made to locate Harun, including following up on tips from the public.

"We have explained our efforts in the search for Harun, and that we would try to arrest him. The team is working [on it]. I have also asked people who spot the fugitive to report to us. We have also asked the fugitive to surrender, because at any rate, sooner or later, we will catch him,” said Firli.

The National Police (Polri) are also continuing to search for Harun, who is certain to be in the country. Public Information head Brig. Gen. Argo Yuwono of the Polri public relations division said that the police had reviewed a number of likely locations where Harun could be hiding. (AGE/SAN/REN/SHR/NIA/DVD)