T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been accused of softening its approach toward combating graft and state officials, particularly lawmakers, linked to crime.

In the last 16 months, the KPK has adopted a much softer approach to dealing with corruption suspects.

"There is some confusion surrounding policy enforcement, with corruption cases halting or stalling altogether when embezzled money is returned to the state through the KPK," ICW deputy coordinator Emerson Yuntho told a conference in Jakarta on Sunday.

He cited the case against Emir Moeis from the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Amru Al Mutasssin and Ali Arsyad, from the National Awakening Party (PKB), and Bobby Suhardiman from the Golkar Party.

The lawmakers have admitted receiving a portion of Rp 31.5 billion from Bank Indonesia's Banking Development Foundation (YPPI) in 2003 .

The embezzled money was distributed through Golkar legislator Hamka Yandhu, who was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for his involvement.

The bribes were handed out to smooth the political settlement of corruption cases involving Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) funds and to speed up the amendment of a BI law being deliberated at the House of Representatives.

The accused lawmakers said they returned the money to the KPK in 2007.

"They returned the money to the KPK and the commission did not follow up their involvement in the case any further," said Emerson.

He said this decision was in direct violation of Article 4 of the 1999 corruption law, which stipulates that individuals who simply return money linked to illegal activities are not cleared of involvement.

Emerson said in a similar way former health minister Ahmad Sujudi and his former secretary-general Daddy Aryadireja returned Rp 700 million (US$67,500) each to the KPK. The money was allegedly linked to crimes committed in relation to a project in 2003 for the Health Ministry.

"The KPK's approach to handling corruption cases tends to call on soft therapy instead of shock therapy," Emerson said.

The ICW also cited several other cases that had stalled due to strong intervention by "certain political parties".

These cases, Emerson added, included an alleged bribery scandal behind the election of BI senior deputy governor Miranda Goeltom, which was reported to the KPK by former PDI-P legislator Agus Tjondro Prayitno.

Among other cases in this category was the alleged distribution of BI money to prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office (AGO) in an attempt to free former BI officials implicated in the BLBI case.

"So far it seems the KPK is only capable of exposing corruption cases but fails to finish them off," Emerson said.

These unresolved cases, the ICW stated, had something to do with the "intervention" by political parties into the KPK.