KPK in the brink of abyss: How the Revision of KPK Law will permanently impair KPK

After a failed attempt to revise KPK Law in June 2015, this week the House of Representatives (DPR) take another attempt to weaken KPK. The new version of KPK Law Revision has been circulated around social media and received various responses, be it from public, the government, or DPR members themselves.

However bluntly the public refused the idea of having an independent anti corruption body only for 12 years long, the initiators seem indifferent.

There are at least 17 critical points within the KPK Law Revision which would not only weaken KPK, but also put it into permanent damage. The revision will not only strip KPK’s authority to prosecute, but also to recruit independent investigators and workers. Not only that, KPK will also be prevented from dismissing its own investigators without recommendation from Attorney General Office and the National Police Force.

Parliamentarians are eager to have this motion discussed and enlisted it into the national legislation program for 2015 (Prolegnas 2015). This eagerness especially comes from the government supporting parties, such as Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), National Democratic Party (Nasdem), United Awakening Party (PKB), People’s Conscience Party (Hanura), and United Development Party (PPP). Contrary to the supporting parties, President Joko Widodo had refused to revise KPK law, if it weakens KPK works and existence.

In response of DPR's insistence, Suryo Bagus Tri, Anti Corruption School’s Alumnus, initiated an online petition on change.org, titled “Don’t Kill KPK, Stop KPK Law Revision”. Per 9 October 2015, the petition had gathered 34.000 signees, and it was delivered to Amir Syamsuddin (Senior Politician from Democratic Party) to be considered as recommendation from civil society.

In only a day since it was launched on October 8^th 2015, number of petition signees have increased significantly. This demonstrates how people are upset by the Revision and any threat to KPK authority and corruption eradication efforts.

As well as the general revulsion, ICW called on the public not to give their votes to parliamentarians who support KPK Law Revision. During a press conference about DPR's One-Year Work Report, Donal Fariz called on voters not to vote for DPR members who’ll rerun on 2015’s Regional Election (Pilkada). This campaign will hopefully put an end to the motion at the parliament and made them rethink their stance on KPK Law Revision.***

WEEKLY SUMMARY

• Coalition of Concerned Citizens for Public Services (MP3 Coalition) delivered their track record research on 72 candidates for the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI) members for 2016-2021 to the Chairman of ORI Selection Panel (Pansel), Agus Dwiyanto. antikorupsi.info/Zin

• 72 academics from various universities advised President Joko Widodo to desist criminalizing case against Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Bambang Widjojanto. antikorupsi.info/Zie

• In commemoration of the World Teacher's Day, the government still have stacks of unfinished homeworks to solve teacher problems. antikorupsi.info/ZiX

• Teachers are prone of being used as political commodity and party machine in local and national elections. antikorupsi.info/ZiB

• Analysts find Constitutional Court (MK) verdict on National Education System to be problematic, since MK reached their verdict without hearing witnesses proposed by the appellant antikorupsi.info/Ziu

• After one year of work and spending a budget of RP 246 billion, the House of Representatives (DPR) only succeeded in passing 2 (two) Priority Legal Draft’s out of 38 Legal Draft which they were tasked with. Those two are the Regional Election Law and Regional Government Law. Another one, the Law on MPR, DPR, DPD, and DPRD (MD3), was also passed but had been discussed in 2014 by the previous term DPR. antikorupsi.info/Ziz

• DPR's insistence to re-enter revision of Law No. 30/2002 about KPK in the national legislation program (Prolegnas) was seen as their intention to kill off KPK. antikorupsi.info/ZiK

• MP3 Coalition still finds alarming candidates in terms of integrity, competence and political party interests among 36 candidate members of ORI who were announced to have passed the Selection Panel's profile assessment. antikorupsi.info/Zir

STATUS UPDATES

October 5

• Former Chairman of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) Yogyakarta, Iriantoko Cahyo Dumadi, was sentenced to 1 year in prison.

October 6

• Investigation team from the Resort Police of Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara investigate reports of an alleged corruption of medical tools across eleven local community health centers (puskesmas).

October 7

• Trials on a corruption case implicating former Minister of Energy and Human Resources Jero Wacik resumed after announcement of judge panel's interim verdict which rejected objection arguments (eksepsi) from the accused and his legal team.

• Special crimes prosecutors from Attorney General's Office (Kejagung) announced that the case files against suspect Joko Pariadi are complete in an alleged corruption of road asphalt works at the Public Works Office of Tebo Regency. Joko is to be tried imminently.

• Panel of judges at the Constitution Court (MK) is to release verdict on a judicial review of Law No. 20/2003 about the National Education System which requested to change the compulsory education term from 9 years to 12 years.

October 8

• The District Attorney General (Kejari) of Madiun in East Java detained Head of the Local Disaster Control Office of Madiun, Agus Subiyanto, as a suspect in an alleged corruption of retention pond construction in Pilangbango Village, Subdistrict of Kartoharjo.

• Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) investigators detained signature forgers of suspect in an alleged corruption of broadcast-ready program contract at TVRI, Mandra Naih.

• Deputy Attorney General of Special Crimes Widyo Pramono refused request from Mandra Naih to temporarily suspend trials since the signature forger have been named as suspect.

• Attorney General Office named two new suspects in corruption of Merpati Nusantara Airlines ticket sales.

October 9

• Bareskrim added article 266 of the Criminal Code to the indictment against Bambang Widjojanto

• Investigators from State Attorney General of Surakarta handed over case files to prosecutors on corruption at State Water Office (PDAM) Surakarta that implicates Singgih Triwibowo, Executive Director of PDAM Surakarta.

• KPK prosecutors charged 14 companies that allegedly caused state loss up of Rp 40.19 billion in corruption of Office of Sail Education and Training (BP2IP) in 2012 at the Ministry of Transportation.