Mandatory to check KPK candidates

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 08/01/2007 12:22 PM

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Anti-graft activists have criticized the selection committee for the new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for failing to check candidates' possible affiliation with political parties.

The activists also said the selection committee had not investigated properly the candidates' history in graft fighting.

Sources close to the KPK selection committee have said political parties are secretly allotted one or more seats among the final five candidates chosen for the commission.

The sources said political parties had various members embedded in the candidate pool to ensure this process was adhered to.

The House of Representatives' Commission III on legal and human rights affairs would hold a fit and proper test to screen five of the 10 names the committee should submit in early September.

The President is scheduled to swear-in the new KPK members in October. The tenure of the current executives ends in December and the new executives should start their work in January.

There are 236 candidates left, of which more than half are police officers or prosecutors, after rounds of administrative and paper screenings. The selection process was started with more than 600 candidates.

""Having KPK executives who represent a party or certain interests makes it difficult for graft eradication programs to be a success,"" Adnan Topan Husodo of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) said Tuesday.

Andri Gunawan, secretary general of the Indonesian Society Concerned with Judiciary at the University of Indonesia's School of Law, said there was a good chance parties embedded their people as applicants.

""With the 2009 elections coming, allegations of graft to finance campaigns will surface and the new executives could be lenient in dealing with the cases,"" he said.

Anti-graft activists said an exhaustive record probe into the remaining candidates was crucial.

They said this could be done using databases from various state institutions, including the Tax Directorate General, the KPK itself, the Police Commission or the Judicial Commission.

Activists said researching KPK candidates' past efforts in fighting graft was mandatory -- but particularly important for candidates coming from the police force or prosecutors' office.

""A candidate with a clean record and proven integrity means nothing if they've done little or nothing to fight graft,"" Adnan said.

""The last thing we need are KPK executives who talk the talk but don't walk the walk.""

Mas Achmad Santosa, a selection committee member in charge of tracking candidate's records, said he was working with various non-governmental groups to trace candidates' backgrounds.

Achmad said the committee would also receive testimonies from the public about the candidates.

Meanwhile, Adnan said the committee should not find it necessary to pass applicants with a law enforcer background because graft cases involving them were not processed at all.

""We have (Taufiequrachman) Ruki and Tumpak (Hatorangan Panggabean) in the executive posts now, and their backgrounds have made the KPK reluctant to probe their fellow law enforcers,"" Adnan said.

Ruki is a retired police general and Tumpak was a prosecutor.

Arsil of the Advocacy and Studies for Judiciary Independency said the selection committee should have required the applicants to submit a wealth report, although it was not required by the law.

""KPK executives will assess the wealth report of state officials, so it's fair to have them submit theirs first,"" he said.

Many of the remaining applicants do not have the minimum 15 years of experience in either law or finance, which is required by the law.

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