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KPK vows to investigate police’s ‘fat’ bank accounts

The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) new leaders have pledged to kick-off a full-blown investigation into the suspicious large bank accounts belonging to a number of police generals

Bagus BT Saragih (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, January 9, 2012

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KPK vows to investigate police’s ‘fat’ bank accounts

T

he Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) new leaders have pledged to kick-off a full-blown investigation into the suspicious large bank accounts belonging to a number of police generals.

“[The investigation into] the police’s ‘fat’ bank accounts is now our priority,” KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto, who was sworn-in last month, said on Sunday.

Bambang, formerly a lawyer and antigraft activist, acknowledged that there had been great pressure exerted upon the country’s top antigraft body when it came to corruption investigations involving the police force.

“As we all have learned, under the previous leadership, the KPK was confronted by numerous ‘attacks’, such as the criminalization of former KPK leaders Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M. Hamzah,” he said, adding that he would not succumb to such pressure.

Dealing with cases implicating high-ranking police officers always involved “complexities”, particularly because all KPK investigators originated from the National Police, Bambang added.

“We need a strategy to address such complexities and such a strategy needs time to be implemented. So, just give us one or two years then you can judge us afterwards,” Bambang said, refusing to elaborate.

The Financial Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) recently announced its findings on large bank accounts belonging to dozens of young and low-ranking civil servants containing money allegedly derived from corruption.

Bambang confirmed that the KPK had also received numerous PPATK reports on suspicious financial transactions and said that they were being analyzed by KPK analysts.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) deputy coordinator Emerson Yuntho welcomed Bambang’s pledge. “We hope that he will keep his word. Don’t disappoint the public again,” he said.

ICW activists were the first to investigate the suspicious bank accounts belonging to 21 high-ranking police officers to the KPK in 2010.

Among the police generals was Insp. Gen. Budi Gunawan, the head of National Police’s internal affairs division, who allegedly amassed Rp 95 billion (US$10.45 million) in two bank accounts.

According to an official document obtained by The Jakarta Post, Budi regularly received money transfers from unidentified third parties.

Budi has confirmed he owned the accounts but claimed that he had “legally gained the money from legal businesses”.

A few weeks after the ICW sent the report to the KPK, ICW activist Tama S. Langkun, who led the NGO’s investigation into the case, became a victim of a drive-by assault by unknown people. Many believe the assault was linked to the case.

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono called on the police to find and arrest the perpetrators when he visited Tama in hospital, but the police investigation has yet to name any suspects.

The ICW also lodged a complaint with the Central Information Commission (KIP) to urge the police to disclose the owners of the accounts.

The KIP ruled in favor of the ICW in February 2011, ordering the police to disclose the requested information to the ICW as the plaintiff. The police, however, refused to obey the KIP ruling, saying they would file an appeal against the ruling, which they have never done.

Bambang, as well as three other KPK leaders, have been serving their posts for less than one month.

Bambang, as well as KPK chairman Abraham Samad, are former anticorruption activists, and have triggered hopes among the public of a more powerful and independent KPK.

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