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RI still needs strong KPK: Presidential chief of staff
Against corruption: Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki talks to journalists at the Presidential Office complex in Jakarta
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span class="inline inline-center">Against corruption: Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki talks to journalists at the Presidential Office complex in Jakarta. (Kompas.com/Indra Akuntono)
Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki said on Wednesday that the government needed an empowered Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to help monitor national development programs.
He made the statement in response to a plan to revise the 2002 KPK Law, which was initiated by the House of Representatives.
'He [President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo] is striving to speed up infrastructure development. This needs the KPK, which is strong and could monitor the potential for corruption,' Teten said as quoted by kompas.com at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He further said the government also needed strong police personnel and prosecutors it could work with to jointly eradicate corruption. He said Jokowi was still fully committed to eradicating corruption.
Still, Teten said, he could not at present convey the government's official stance on the revision plan. He rejected speculation that the revision was aimed at granting clemency to people who committed corruption.
'What I know is, President Jokowi is really committed to the corruption eradication agenda. His commitment to corruption eradication should not be doubted,' he said.
Six factions of the House of Representatives proposed the revision of the 2002 KPK Law during a meeting of the House's Legislation Body on Tuesday. They were the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (KPK), the NasDem Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the Hanura Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Golkar Party.
One of articles in the draft revision says that the antigraft body's working period will be limited to 12 years from the time that the law took effect. It is proposed that the KPK should no longer investigate corruption cases involving law enforcers. The KPK will also be prohibited from handling graft cases in which resulting financial losses are less than Rp 50 billion (US$3.6 million).
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung refused to comment on the draft revision proposed by the pro-government Great Indonesia Coalition (KIH) and the Golkar Party, saying that the government wanted to first study the content of the draft revision.
'At this time, the revision plan came from the House and we, the government, will study the draft's content, substance and many other things. Therefore, we cannot comment on the matter at this time. Let's wait for the process to finish,' he said as quoted by kompas.com at the State Palace on Wednesday. (edn/ebf)
