T

he National Police said that active police officers are welcome to apply in this year'€™s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioners selection process.

Although the institution has yet to nominate its own candidate and has no plans to do so, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Agus Rianto said that National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti did not have a problem with any officers applying.

'€œThe National Police'€™s members are welcome to register,'€ he said.

Agus added that it would be good for the KPK to have a commissioner with a police background so that he would better understand law enforcement as it related to corruption.

Furthermore, he continued, if a police officer became a KPK commissioner it would greatly improve ties between the two institutions.

Previously, the KPK commissioner selection team claimed that it had received information that the National Police would nominate an active officer as a candidate for KPK commissioner.

'€œThey [the National Police] have candidates but I forgot their names. There were retired officers and active ones too,'€ said Destri Damayanti, the head of the selection committee.

The committee does not explicitly restrict police or military officers from registering as candidates for KPK commissioner posts, but according to the KPK Law, those who will serve as the antigraft body'€™s chairman and deputy chairmen are obliged to resign from their current job positions and are not allowed to pursue other careers outside the KPK.

The law does not require police or military officers to resign from their institutions to take the jobs.

The military law, however, prohibits active personnel from assuming civilian posts, which would cause selected personnel to resign from the military before beginning work at the KPK.