House calls for new anticorruption chief

The Jakarta Post ,  JAKARTA   |  Wed, 05/06/2009 9:33 AM  |  Headlines

The legislature is seeking to immediately replace disgraced Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Antasari Azhar, who has been detained by police for his alleged role in the murder of a businessman.

The move came as another distraction for the House of Representatives, which is racing against time to finish a corruption court bill by its December deadline.

Legislators were also intent on replacing Antasari even though under the law the KPK members instantly become non-active when named suspect in a criminal case.

The 2002 law also states that the President must permanently dismiss any KPK member that  stands trial for a crime.

The House has very limited time to pass numerous other crucial bills, including one on public service, before its five-year term ends Sept. 30.

The House demanded Tuesday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dismiss Antasari and nominate replacements for selection by lawmakers — a  process which could take a few months.

Lawmakers with the House’s Commission III for legal affairs claimed that in the absence of its chief, the KPK would lack “legitimacy” and “credibility” in making decisions on corruption cases.

“We are going to have a meeting Thursday with all four KPK deputies on the latest development of the criminal case against its chairman, Antasari Azhar,” Commission III head Trimedya Panjaitan said after a meeting to discuss this issue.

A day after the arrest of Antasari, the KPK continued showing its teeth in the fight against corruption by announcing a new suspect in a graft case involving state electricity company PT PLN.

Deputy head of KPK, Chandra Hamzah, said the case caused state losses "of around Rp 80 billion (US$7.7 million)."

Police detained Antasari after eight hours of questioning Monday on charges he masterminded the murder of Nasrudin Zulkarnaen, the director of a state firm.

Many believe the murder was a crime of passion tied to Antasari’s alleged love affair with Nasruddin’s third wife Rani Juliani, a golf caddy.

According to Antasari’s lawyers, Juniver Girsang and Mohammad Assegaff, their client admitted during a police interrogation Tuesday that he knew details about Rani, Nasruddin and businessman Sigid Haryo Wibisono, another key suspect in the murder case.

Antasari was seen wearing an orange detention outfit, knee-long shorts and slippers, tempointeraktif.com reported.    

During the absence of Antasari, all four deputy chairmen will take turns leading the KPK for one week each, to avoid problems arising from the vacancy.

But Trimedya Panjaitan said such collective leadership of the KPK was against the law.

“The only institution authorized to appoint the KPK chief is the House, in line with Law No. 30/2002,” he argued.

Another Comission III member, Lukman Hakim, said Antasari’s absence could taint the legitimacy of the commission’s future decisions.

The House has seen many of its own members, from almost all political parties, arrested on bribery charges by the KPK under Antasari's watch. Many of them, including Al Amin Nasution, Hamka Yandhu and Sarjan Tahir, have been sent to jail by the Corruption Court. (hdt)

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