JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- Terrorist attacks against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and anticorruption activists should not only be investigated for the sake of law enforcement and preventing similar future attacks. They should also be used as momentum to strengthen the KPK and corruption eradication in general.
“This can be achieved, for instance, through revising the Corruption Law,” KPK chair Agus Rahardjo said at the KPK headquarters in Jakarta on Friday (11/1/2019).
On early Wednesday, Agus and KPK deputy chair Laode M. Syarif faced attacks at their respective homes. It was the ninth such attacks against the KPK. None of these nine cases have been solved.
In order to investigate one of the most prominent cases, namely the acid attack on senior KPK investigator Novel Baswedan, the National Police formed a joint team consisting of police personnel, KPK employees, National Police Commission (Kompolnas) members, academics and members of the public.
Agus confirmed reports of the team’s establishment but said he had yet to receive any notification about the involvement of KPK employees.
National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Choirul Anam said that he appreciated the creation of the joint team, adding that he hoped the team’s work would be reported periodically to the public.
With respect to the attacks at Agus and Laode’s homes, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said the police would be ready to work together with the KPK to investigate them. Through the cooperation it is hoped the more evidence would be collected and the investigation would be completed soon.
The National Police, Dedi said, is still questioning several witnesses in the case. “It is only a matter of time before we crack the case,” he said.
Strengthening
Related to the several attacks against the KPK, Agus said that KPK employees needed protection. However, he said strengthening corruption eradication is the more pressing matter.
Agus said that Law No. 20/2001 on corruption should be revised soon to include recommendations from the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which includes private sector corruption, asset recovery, trading of influence, improper wealth accumulation and bribery of foreigners.
Former KPK member Indriyanto Seno Adji said it would not be enough to respond to the attacks against the KPK with thorough investigations and increasing protection for KPK leaders and employees.
The attacks must also be used to strengthen support for corruption eradication, including by revising the Corruption Law. Several stipulations in the law are not strong enough to create a deterrent against corruption. Furthermore, better stipulations are required to fight against new forms of corruption. (E06/IAN)