“You need independence to investigate high-profile cases involving powerful businessmen and political elites,” said ICW coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo. South China, morning Lent.
Since its establishment in 2003, the KPK has examined over 1,000 cases. According to. lawmakers were involved in 255 The Jakarta Globe Newspaper.
“Politicians see the KPK as an agency that threatens them,” Adnan said.
On September 5, the KPK posted a press release on its website during which it categorically “rejects the 2002 amendment to the KPK Act.”
However, last week the Indonesian House of Representatives approved the changes and said it intended to adopt them before the dissolution of the present 2014-2019 parliament on September 30.
The chamber’s letter on this matter has reached the desk of President Joko Widodo, who now has 60 days to determine whether to sign the legislative proposals, in response to local press reports.
Adnan said all political factions within the chamber “agreed to the proposed changes without exception.”
Has corruption stopped “Shenzhen Indonesia”?
Has corruption stopped “Shenzhen Indonesia”?
“The country’s political elites, drawn from all political parties, whether religious or nationalist, are the same,” Adnan said.
“They do not care about the public or national interest. Their primary interest is material, whether it is economic or political resources.”
According to former Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadji – who earned the nickname “Mr. Clean” due to its modest lifestyle in a rustic where many officials are known for his or her extravagance – the legal changes were proposed with several different goals in mind.
“Some parliamentarians want to weaken the KPK’s power, others want to strengthen it,” Sarwono said Lent.
Civil rights and anti-corruption activists are calling on Widodo, popularly often known as Jokowi, to “save the KPK,” but Sarwono said it was unclear which way the president would lean.
“He remains secretive about the KPK,” Sarwono said.
Globe Jakarta reported that in a recent visit to West Kalimantan, Widodo stated that he had not yet reviewed the documents containing the outline of the proposal.
“From what I have seen, the KPK is doing a good job,” he was quoted as saying.
Among the controversial changes was the proposal to limit the KPK’s freedom in the sector of wiretapping by appointing a supervisory board.
Catching a suspect red-handed is significant in preparing a legal case
The ICW stated that the wiretapping helped the KPK gather evidence against corrupt officials and catch many within the act.
The NGO said that evidence is commonly difficult to acquire in corruption cases, and wiretapping is a key method.
“Catching a suspect in the act is important because it helps prepare a court case against the perpetrators so that they can be held criminally liable,” Adnan said. “The proposed supervisory board could reject KPK’s wiretapping requests.”
The changes also stipulate that KPK investigators should come only from the civil services, and never from the private sector or civil society. ICW stated that this could further impact the agency’s independence.
How this agency wages the war against corruption in Indonesia and wins
How this agency wages the war against corruption in Indonesia and wins
The Jakarta Post in an editorial on Tuesday, he said the proven fact that politicians were “able to speed up the revision” should raise questions on their motives.
“Many people fear that lawmakers will threaten, if not outright kill, anti-corruption efforts. President Jokowi could accelerate the collapse of the KPK if he approved the consideration of the draft law,” the daily wrote.
“There are many hopes that Jokowi will bow to public demands to save the KPK from danger, as he has done in the past. We need more voices to respond appropriately.”
