KPK finally has a new Deputy for Enforcement after this position was vacated by Inspector General (Pol) Heru Winarko, who was inaugurated as Head of BNN. The new Deputy for Enforcement is Brigadier General Firli who previously served as the Chief of NTB Regional Police. The process of appointment, from the vacancy to inauguration, is relatively short, i.e. from the beginning of March to the first week of April 2018.

KPK and Corruption Court to be paralysed, corrupt officials to benefit

On Monday, March 5, 2018, the House of Representatives (DPR) returned to meet after finishing the recess period. One of the legislative works of the House of Representatives that needs to be noticed during this current session is the process of deliberation of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP). The House of Representatives is targeting to pass the RKUHP to Law no later than April 2018.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) proposes that former convicts of corruption cases are to be prohibited from running for the 2019 Legislative Election. The KPU argues that the regulation aims to enable the public to vote for a legislative candidate with integrity.

The General Election Commission (KPU) plans to require all legislative candidates participating in the 2019 Legislative Election to submit the State Administrator Property Report (LHKPN). This obligation will be regulated in a KPU Regulation (PKPU) on the nomination of legislative members.

President of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated Arief Hidayat as a Justice of the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Arief will serve his second term between 2018 and 2023. He has previously been a Justice of the Constitutional Court since 2013, however, some have expressed disappointment on his re-inauguration, due to a track record of ethical violations.

The non-active governor of Southeast Sulawesi, Nur Alam, was finally sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Panel of Judges of the Jakarta Corruption Court on March 28, 2018. Nur Alam was also required to pay a substitute of Rp 2.7 billion and had his political rights revoked for 5 years after serving his sentence.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto appealed to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to postpone the handling of cases involving candidates for regional heads in the period of regional heads elections (Pilkada). This appeal was conveyed after a meeting with the General Election Commission (KPU), Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu), and the Election Ethics Board on Tuesday (13/03/2018) in Jakarta.

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) was again called out for causing environmental damage and illegal use of protected forest. This time, the offenses were revealed as findings in a report published by the Audit Board of Indonesia (BPK) regarding the implementation of PTFI’s Contract of Work (CoW) for the period between 2013 and 2015.

In early March 2018, KPK announced the recruitment for the positions of law enforcement deputy and director of investigation. The former position was held by Insp. Gen. Heru Winarko, who has been installed as the new head of National Narcotics Agency (BNN), while the latter by Brig. Gen. Aris Budiman, who decided to return to the headquarters of the Indonesian national police.