Jakarta, 5 September 2019. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) refuses the revision of the KPK Law as, learning from the widely distributed draft, it has the potential to paralyze KPK as an independent antigraft institution.
“With the occurrences and the agenda recently, we have to state that KPK is currently hanging by a thread,” said KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo.
First of all, the selection process to appoint KPK’s new leaders has resulted in 10 candidates that include some problematic names. This will restrain KPK and make it prone to disruption from various parties.
The House of Representatives’ (DPR) Plenary Session today approves the revision of the KPK Law into DPR Initiative Bill, which contains nine points that will potentially weaken KPK. The Bill will threaten KPK’s independence, make wiretapping more difficult and limited, create a Monitoring Board that is appointed by DPR, limit the source of investigators, oblige corruption case prosecution process to coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office, put cases with public attention aside, cut KPK’s authority to hand over the case at prosecution phase, erase strategic authorities during prosecution phase, and eliminate the authority to manage the submission and examination of public official wealth reports.
Apart from revising the KPK Law, the House is currently discussing the Criminal Code Bill (RUU KUHP) that will revoke the special character of corruption crime, threatening KPK’s existence even more.
KPK is aware that the House has the authority to create Initiative Bill. However, KPK is urging the legislators to not use the authority to weaken and paralyze KPK.
KPK is also aware that the KPK Bill will not be passed if the President refuses and disapproves of the Bill, because it takes the approval of both the House and the President to pass a bill.
Therefore, KPK hopes the President will take time to discuss the revision with scholars, the public and related institutions before he decides whether the revision of the KPK Bill and the Criminal Code Bill are necessary.
KPK believes that the President will stick with his previous statement that the he will not weaken KPK. Especially since the President has a number of important agenda to build the country and serve the people. The controversy surrounding the revision of the KPK Bill and the attempts to paralyze KPK should not have existed in the first place so that President Joko Widodo can focus on his work plans. And KPK will support the President’s work programs through its corruption prevention and enforcement duties.
For more information, please contact:
Febri Diansyah
Spokesperson
The Corruption Eradication Commission
Jl. Kuningan Persada Kav 4, Jakarta Selatan
(021) 2557-8300
www.kpk.go.id
