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Staff join hands to admonish Ruki's surrender
Resistance from within: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees protest their leadersâ controversial move to transfer the investigation of graft suspect Comr
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span class="inline inline-center">Resistance from within: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees protest their leaders' controversial move to transfer the investigation of graft suspect Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan to the Attorney General's Office after the South Jakarta District court decided the KPK had no authority to handle his case. They demanded that the KPK file a case review with the Supreme Court. JP/DON
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials, including directors and investigators, have pledged to continue demonstrating against KPK leaders until they voided Monday's decision to hand over Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan's investigation to the Attorney General's Office (AGO), which will later transfer the case to the graft-ridden National Police.
On Tuesday, around 400 KPK officials staged a protest at the antigraft body compound lambasting what they described as 'horse-trading' undertaken by acting KPK chairman Taufiequrachman Ruki, who they said had been sent by the government to take the case away from the KPK.
'These actions will continue. We will further press KPK leaders to cancel the agreement and urge them to file a case review petition against a pretrial verdict that forced the KPK to stop investigating [Budi],' KPK union worker chairman Faisal said after Monday's rally.
On Monday, Ruki said the KPK 'had no choice' but to transfer Budi's case to the police following the pretrial verdict because of an internal law that prohibits the commission from halting an investigation, as well as its failed effort to challenge the verdict through a cassation mechanism.
During the protest, KPK workers wrote statements on a 50-meter-long banner that condemned the agreement and rebuked the 68-year-old Ruki, who was reportedly the initiator of the controversial decision.
'Stop weakening the KPK from within,' read one anonymous statement, while another written, by KPK official Nanang, read 'It is the KPK's job to eradicate corruption.'
One investigator joining the protest, who requested anonymity, said: 'I am sure that suspended commissioners Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto would not agree that their cases be traded for something else.' Abraham and Bambang's cases are currently being handled by police.
Following Monday's deal, acting National Police chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti said that police had postponed their investigation into two other KPK commissioners, Adnan Pandu Praja and Zulkarnain. Badrodin also said police would review nine other investigations into KPK investigators and directors, but that police would proceed with the Abraham and Bambang investigations.
The investigator continued: 'I've been working here for eight years under three different groups of leaders. I've experienced the KPK's tremendous achievements and integrity under the third chairman [Abraham]; but today, [under Ruki] we no longer see such things because everything can be 'traded' now.'
Ruki and acting commissioner Indriyanto Seno Adji approached the protesters and awkwardly signed the banner, but did not comment on the criticisms being lodged against them. Later, Ruki convened protesters in a closed-door meeting inside the KPK building to explain his controversial decision.
'I am honored to see that they [KPK officials] have grown up [with critical thinking]. They are all the result of the first leadership and now I am back to fill the empty seat [vacated by Abraham]. I will listen to your aspirations as I am now part of them as well,' Ruki said.
Former KPK commissioner Busyro Muqoddas said Ruki's controversial decision was rumored to have been triggered by intervention from the administration, adding that Ruki must cancel the decision, which he said had undermined the credibility of the KPK.
'Pak Ruki needs to cancel the decision [as a form of] goodwill,' Busyro told The Jakarta Post.
Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto said President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo had demanded a comprehensive solution to the KPK's internal tension.
'Basically, the directive of the President is to find a comprehensive legal resolution,' Andi said on Tuesday.
According to Andi, Jokowi said there should be 'no maneuvers outside legal channels', and he reinstated his call for all parties 'to refrain from creating a hostile situation'.
'The President wants synergy between law enforcement institutions to be achieved soon,' Andi said.
