The 100 percent conviction rate of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in prosecuting corruption cases is about to be broken. The District Corruption Court of Pekanbaru has acquitted Suparman, the regent of Rokan Hulu. The panel of judges believed that Suparman has not been proven to receive money or gifts from the other suspect, the former governor of Riau, Annas Maamun.

The corruption case involving Suparman does not stand on its own. It is a development of another case involving the previous governor of Riau, Annas Maamun and 2009-2014 Riau regional legislator Ahmad Kirjauhari. Both have been convicted by the District Corruption Court in Pekanbaru. According to the most recent information, the guilty verdict on the case of bribery in the approval of the 2014 and 2015 Riau additional regional budgets (APBD-P), with Ahmad Kirjauhari as the convict, has been in force, as neither side has made an appeal.

This verdict is one of the bases for the Commission to conduct further investigation. The judges believed that the defendant Ahmad Kirjauhari, and also Johar Firdaus, Suparman, Riky Hariansyah, and other regional legislators, have performed acts that interfere with, or accelerate the ratification of the 2014 and 2015 regional budget bills. In other words, the elements of committing, conspiring to commit, or ordering to commit, has been fulfilled.

Another fact revealed in the trial was the testimony of Riki Hariansyah. Riki was a former member of the Riau parliament. In his testimony, he mentioned a number of politicians who received bribes or promises of bribes in this case. According to some accounts, Johar and Suparman were also promised of a vehicle lease, which was to be used by Riau provincial legislators in the 2009-2014 period.

Some of the testimonies and the opinion of the judges in the verdict of Ahmad Kirjauhari arguably run counter to the acquittal of Suparman. Thus, KPK’s move to go to cassation to the Supreme Court (MA) is the most appropriate choice. The Commission does not need to worry because cassations against acquittals in corruption cases have become a precedent. Previously the Supreme Court has canceled the acquittal of the mayor of Bekasi, Mochtar Mohammad, granted by the Bandung Corruption Court.

The acquittal of Suparman is the latest in the series of acquittals by Judge Rinaldi Triandiko in corruption cases in Riau. Previously, Rinaldi has acquitted Azmun Tengku Jaafar, in the case of land procurement of Bhakti Praja in Pangkalan Kerinci. Other cases include the acquittals of Zubiarsyah (Regional Secretary of Kepulauan Meranti) and Suwandi Idris (Head of Regional Land Board) in the case of land acquisition for the Dorak International and Cargo Port, Selat Panjang.

Due to the recurrence of acquittals given by Rinaldi, KPK should involve the Judicial Commission to explore whether there is an ethical violation in the acquittal of Suparman and the others. (Tama/Adnan)