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Budi defiant over wealth report order
The National Policeâs detective division chief, Comr
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T
he National Police's detective division chief, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, said the news about his reluctance to submit his wealth report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been used to attack him.
'They have made a big deal out of it. They are trying to find my weaknesses, hoping that they can take me down,' Budi told reporters on Tuesday.
Since being sworn in as detective division chief in January, Budi has yet to submit his wealth report. It is compulsory for all high-ranking state officials to submit such reports before, during and after their tenures, as stipulated by Law No. 29/1999 on the organization of clean government and Law No. 30/2002 on the KPK.
However, there are only a lenient sanctions applied against government officials who fail to submit their wealth reports as it is not considered a criminal offense.
In an interview in March with The Jakarta Post, Budi said he had a monthly salary of Rp 12 million (US$908) plus Rp 11 million in allowances.
However, at the time, he claimed he had difficulties finding an auditor to calculate his wealth as the majority of it consisted of his firearm, knife and old car collections, some of which he had inherited from his late father.
Budi said that he was also aware that many people did not like him and were attacking him because he was responsible for investigations into all criminal cases in the country, including major graft cases that allegedly involve current and former state officials.
'Many people have become worried since I have taken on such big cases; they run hot and cold over the issue, but I'm not afraid. I am protected by my family and my siblings,' he said.
Budi said that there were also some who wanted to create friction between the police force and the KPK as, 'There are many who want the National Police to be a lesser force [in comparison to the KPK] and this is not good as it might diminish our authority.'
Budi replaced Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius, who along with then National Police chief Gen. Sutarman, was suspected of having provided evidence that led to the KPK naming then National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a graft suspect.
Budi Gunawan is now the deputy National Police chief. Earlier, Budi Gunawan served as Budi Waseso's superior in the police force's education and training division.
Budi considered the spotlight cast on his wealth report as not just an attack on his alleged close relationship with Gunawan, but also on the whole police force.
'People say I am close to BG [Gunawan], but that's beside the point. Everyone is involved. I will defend the police force and I will never betray it. The blood of those who betray the force can be spilled,' he said, adding that he would submit the wealth report soon, but did not give a date.
Meanwhile, KPK acting commissioner Johan Budi acknowledged that submitting a wealth report was effectively non-mandatory, since the penalties were so weak.
'[In the end, submitting a wealth report] depends on whether or not that state official wants to do it,' he said.
Johan added that the laws did not give details on what type of administrative sanction should be given to officials who failed to submit a wealth report.
