Undeterred, Repeating Corruption

· 3 minutes read

Chances come once in a lifetime – so the saying goes. Whoever gets a second chance to do good must not waste it.

Awareness leads to second chances, so that people who do wrong can repent, improve themselves, do better and dedicate themselves to their country. This was the reason behind the government’s and House of Representatives’ initiative in 2016 to amend Law No. 1/2015 on Regional Head Elections. Consequently, Law No. 10/2016 was born. The law’s Article 7 Point 2 Letter (g) stipulates that former convicts may run for regional head elections if they openly and honestly make their status as former convicts public.

The law also requires regional head candidates to be free of individual and/or organizational debts that are detrimental to state finances.
KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO
An expert staff member of the Kudus regent, Agus Suranto (second left), and the acting secretary of the Kudus Finance and Asset Revenue Management Agency, Akhmad Sofyan (third left), wear detainee vests after being questioned at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office in Jakarta on Saturday (27/7/2019). Agus and Akhmad have been declared suspects by KPK for alleged bribery or for promising positions in the Kudus government in 2019. The KPK also declared Kudus Regent Muhammad Tamzil a suspect and confiscated Rp 170 million in the arrest.
Perhaps this spirit of giving a second chance is incomprehensible for Kudus, Central Java, Regent M. Tamzil, who was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last week. Tamzil was rearrested for corruption, alongside his special staff member, Agus Soeranto. This time, it was for official appointments at the Kudus regency administration. Tamzil asked Agus to find Rp 250 million (US$17,872) to pay for a personal debt. The promise of an official seat at the regency administration was made.
Only a few former corruption convicts get a second chance of serving as regional heads. Tamzil, who served as Kudus regent from 2003 to 2008, was ensnared in a corruption case involving education infrastructure procurement in 2004 and 2005. In 2015, he was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison. After his second arrest last week, the KPK grouped him as a recidivist (Kompas, 28/7/2019). The Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language (KBBI) defines a recidivist as “a person who is punished and repeats the same crime; a repeat offender”.
KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO
Kudus Regent Muhammad Tamzil wears a detainee vest after being questioned at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office in Jakarta on Saturday (27/7/2019).The regent was named a suspect after the KPK caught him allegedly accepting gifts or for promising positions in the Kudus government in 2019. The KPK has also named an expert staff member of the Kudus regent, Agus Suranto, and acting secretary of the Kudus Finance and Asset Revenue Management Agency, Akhmad Sofyan, suspects in the same case.
In the 2018 regional head election in Kudus, Tamzil decided to run again. We believe that he fulfilled the candidacy requirements, including by announcing his status as a former convict without any debt that could potentially be detrimental to state finances. For this second corruption case, Tamzil has yet to be tried. However, he was caught red-handed by the KPK on Friday (26/7).
Article 2 of Law No. 31/1999 on Corruption Eradication affirms that corruption, in certain cases, may be punishable by death. The article’s elucidation further defines “in certain cases” as when the state is in danger, in crisis, facing a national-scale natural disaster, or if the case is a repeat of corruption.
KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO
Kudus Regent Muhammad Tamzil gets into a paddy wagon wearing a detainee vest after being questioned at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office in Jakarta on Saturday (27/7/2019).The KPK has named the regent a suspect for allegedly accepting gifts or promising positions in the Kudus government in 2019. The KPK also named an expert staff member of the Kudus regent, AgusSuranto, and acting secretary of the Kudus Finance and Asset Revenue Management Agency, Akhmad Sofyan, suspects in the same case.
The KPK can apply Article 2 of Law No. 31/1999 for Tamzil to provide a deterrent through criminal punishment. However, of no less importance is to encourage the people to be smart in choosing their leaders. Next year, we will face 270 simultaneous regional elections nationwide.

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