IPW calls on KPK to probe police, military projects

The Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) has urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to turn its attention toward huge projects taking place under the supervision of the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

“It is about time that the KPK start monitoring the main weapons systems projects at the National Police and TNI because these projects cost trillions of rupiah, but are sometimes inefficient and wasteful,” IPW chairman Neta S. Pane said Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He said that in purchasing weapon systems, the police and the military were often guilty of not buying a complete set of equipment, which meant that the equipment could not function properly and eventually becomes unusable.

The KPK, Neta said, should also observe the extent to which the project is in accordance with the Strategic Plan and whether the equipment is of decent technology and ensure that the purchases prioritize the quality of equipment rather than quantity.

According to Neta, there are many police and military projects that have shown indications of corruption and can be investigated by the KPK, such as the procurement of 39 second-hand war ships from East Germany by the TNI and the Police Training Center project in the National Police.

Since it was first established, the KPK has never handled cases linked to projects involving the National Police or the TNI, Neta said. (awd)