Experts: Police Complaints, Pretrial Motions Against KPK Must Stop
Jakarta. Anti-corruption activists and legal experts are calling on Indonesian law enforcers to cooperate in combating a rising trend among corruption suspects of lodging police complaints or pretrial motions against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Prominent lawyer and graft suspect Otto Cornelis Kaligis on Tuesday reported the national anti-graft agency to the National Police for alleged “kidnapping” and “abuse of power” — a common strategy among corruption suspects.
Others, such as former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali and former Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) chief Hadi Poernomo, have attempted to undermine the KPK by filing pretrial motions against the commission.
Legal expert Todung Mulya Lubis said a police complaint is general procedure and remains in accordance to the law as part of a self-defense tactic.
“Filing a report to police is the right of every citizen, including corruptors. Yet, the question is, is the report based on strong evidence?” Todung said.
“We may not be able to stop corruptors from filing anything, yet the police have the authority to refuse reports that are not valid. The police don’t have to follow up on every complaint filed by graft suspects,” Todung said.
Legal expert Frans Winarta added that the government must put a stop to the alarming trend by instructing the country’s law enforcement agencies to support and work with one another.
“The fate of political law in Indonesia lies within the hands of President Joko Widodo. Joko must summon [the police, KPK commissioners and the attorney general] and order those institutions to collaborate in enforcing the law without having to competing against each other. They have to help each other,” Frans said on Friday.
“With many reports coming from [suspected] corruptors to the Bareskrim [the National Police's Criminal Investigation Unit], we are expecting the unit to cooperate with the KPK.”
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Ade Irawan urged the police to remain fair and neutral in investigating every report made by graft suspects without drudging up past quarrels with the anti-graft body.
“This is a challenge; accused perpetrators will always attempt to dodge blame and punishment. This is common everywhere in the world,” Ade told the Jakarta Globe on Friday. “But more importantly, the law enforcement agency receiving the report must remain objective. Is the complaint tendentious or does it bare a legal basis?”
Ade added that there is currently no need for an official policy to deal with the issue; only the willingness of law enforcers to agree to back each other in combating corruption.
Frans, who is among 48 candidates currently under assessment for the new KPK leadership, said the race includes prominent political and social figures who can potentially revive the beleaguered anti-graft agency and bring it back on track.
“But still, it all depends on the House and whether they have the save views as we do,” he said.
The KPK’s selection committee is still in the process of reviewing each candidate, said ICW’s Ade
“We hope that whoever will next lead the KPK can bring life and strength back into the agency,” he added.
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