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Graft suspect proponents touted for KPK screening team
After making several moves that have been criticized for confining the authority of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the government is again under fire for considering law experts with track records of supporting graft suspects to be part of a committee to select new KPK commissioners
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After making several moves that have been criticized for confining the authority of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the government is again under fire for considering law experts with track records of supporting graft suspects to be part of a committee to select new KPK commissioners.
Former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) advisor Said Zainal Abidin has urged President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo not to select law professors Romli Atmasasmita and Margarito Kamis for the KPK screening team due to their track records against the antigraft body.
Zainal made the statement following information that Jokowi had received the names of candidates for the selection team, which included the two experts as well as legal expert Chairul Huda, who defended National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan during a pretrial motion to challenge the KPK's legal charges against Budi.
'To make the selection process objective, I think they should not be picked for the team,' Zainal said at KPK headquarters on Monday.
Margarito, a constitutional law expert from Khairun University and Chairul, a legal expert from Muhammadiyah University, also testified on behalf of former energy and mineral resources minister Jero Wacik during a similar pretrial hearing against the KPK in April.
Former Democratic Party co-founder Sutan Bhatoegana also asked the three experts to testify for him when he sought to break free of KPK charges in March.
While promising to fight corruption during his presidential campaign, Jokowi's policies have appeared to run contrary to the spirit of the antigraft battle.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, for example, has announced a plan to remove the KPK's authority in recommending remissions for graft suspects.
In addition, after the KPK's naming of Budi, a high-ranking police general, as a suspect in a graft case, the police pushed ahead with criminal charges against the KPK's leaders and investigators.
The battle between the KPK and the police led the Constitutional Court to allow graft suspects to challenge their charges through a pretrial mechanism.
While the development was a triumph for those who may have been wrongly convicted by law enforcement institutions like the police and the KPK, it has also led to a string of lawsuits against the antigraft body.
Unlike arrangements in previous years, this year the selection process to appoint new KPK commissioners will be supervised by the State Secretariat.
During the leadership of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the selection process was under the Law and Human Rights Ministry.
Minister Yasonna reportedly favors Romli, a law professor from Padjajaran University, to head the selection team and Romli says he is ready should Yasonna recommend his name to Jokowi.
State Secretary Pratikno confirmed that President Jokowi had received input regarding potential names for the committee.
'The President has received a lot of input and is now analyzing it,' Pratikno said, although he refused to specifically mention Romli, Margito or Chairul.
The former Gadjah Mada University (UGM) rector said that criticism of several names would be a consideration for Jokowi as he made his choices.
'This is the time for the public to scrutinize [the names believed to be on the list],' said Pratikno.
Pratikno further said that Jokowi's selections would reflect his commitment to trying to bring harmony between the KPK, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) in the country's fight against corruption.
In addition to the three experts, a number of KPK proponents and former KPK chairmen and advisors are also among the recommended names.
Meanwhile, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Emerson Yuntho urged President Jokowi to seek advice on the track records of the submitted names from a number of parties, including asking the KPK to make recommendations on whether the candidates supported graft eradication efforts or not.
