Corrupt House of Representatives members in spotlight

ANTARA FOTO/RENO ESNIR

House of Representatives member Bowo Sidik Pangarso of the Golkar Party is taken to a detention center in Jakarta on Thursday. Bowo was named a suspect for allegedly accepting bribes from PT Humpuss Transportasi Kimia.

Within the first three months of this year, two members of the House of Representatives were caught in sting operations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), relating to political funds.In East Java, the (former) chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) M Romahurmuziy was nabbed by the KPK for allegedly receiving bribes relating to the filling of positions at the Religious Affairs Ministry. Romahurmuziy was listed as a House member for the 2014 to 2019 period. On Thursday, morning, the KPK arrested Golkar Party member Bowo Sidik Pangarso in Jakarta for alleged corruption in the fertilizer transportation services (Kompas, 29/3/2019).

In the case of Bowo, the KPK said Rp 8 billion were found in 82 cardboard boxes were allegedly meant be used to fund his candidacy in Central Java.

The arrests of the two House members have added to the long list of legislators who were nabbed by the KPK. Throughout the 2004 to 2018 period, the KPK recorded that 998 people were found to have been involved in corruption. Of that number 247 people, who were members of the House or provincial legislative council (DPRD), were arrested. Last year alone, 103 were arrested for corruption.

In the private sector, which is generally a conduit for bribes or gratuities, 238 people were arrested for corruption. This year, a number of private sector employees were also caught, as well as officials and employees of state-owned enterprises. Up until last year, 199 officials, especially those in echelon I, II, and III positions, were arrested.

KOMPAS /TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators stand in front of 82 boxes containing Rp 8 billion as KPK deputy chairwoman Basariah Panjaitan provides a chronology of the investigation on Thursday at the KPK’s Jakarta headquarters. House of Representatives member Bowo Sidik Pangarso of the Golkar Party was arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes from PT Humpuss Transportasi Kimia.

Arnold Heidenheimer and Michael Johnston explained that the moral definition of corruption is fraud or destruction of integrity in the implementation of public obligations through bribes and gifts. It is also the existence and use of fraudulent practices, especially in a state, public business entities and the like; the process of becoming morally rotten; rotten facts or condition; moral deterioration or decay and depravity (B Herry Priyono, Corruption: Tracking the Meaning, Listening to Implications, Gramedia Jakarta, 2018).

Corruption does not only damage the good name of the perpetrators, it also destroys the legislature. On the personal side, people no longer trust (former) representatives of the people who are corrupt. This year, public trust in the House, according to a Kompas R&D poll, had declined compared to the previous year. In 16 cities, only 45.1 percent of respondents saw the House in a positive light in March this year, from 46.4 percent canvassed in December last year. In January 2015, 50.5 percent of respondents thought that the House had a good image.