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House aims low in confirmation hearing for KPK leaders
Hopeful: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leadership candidates Johan Budi (left) and Alexander Marwata share a joke before their interviews at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday
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Hopeful: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leadership candidates Johan Budi (left) and Alexander Marwata share a joke before their interviews at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.(JP/DON) (KPK) leadership candidates Johan Budi (left) and Alexander Marwata share a joke before their interviews at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.(JP/DON)
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span class="inline inline-center">Hopeful: Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leadership candidates Johan Budi (left) and Alexander Marwata share a joke before their interviews at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.(JP/DON)
House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs kicked off on Monday a three-day confirmation hearing to select five new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders for the 2015-2019 period, by attacking candidates deemed credible by many.
Commission III, which is pushing for an amendment to the KPK Law to reduce the antigraft body's authority in the antigraft campaign, set its sights on two candidates who had been deemed the best candidates in the race; acting KPK deputy chairman Johan Budi and KPK education and public service director Sujanarko.
Commission III lawmakers attacked the candidates for not holding law degrees, ignoring the fact that they had served the antigraft body for years.
The lawmakers, however, only threw softball questions to controversial candidates, such as Jakarta Corruption Court ad hoc judges Alexander Marwata, who has gained a reputation for expressing dissenting opinions, including calling for the acquittal of defendants in graft trials.
Before Monday's hearing, Nasir Djamil of the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which became a fierce critic of the KPK following the arrest of its former chairman, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, for graft in 2013, campaigned that Johan's background did not match that of the requirements for a KPK commissioner.
Other members of Commission III during the hearing raised concerns about Johan's background as a journalist who had covered legal affairs instead of someone who had a formal legal education, maintaining that the commission was looking for candidates who would not 'edit stories on legal affairs'.
Johan responded to the attack by saying that his career as an official at the KPK would work to his advantage.
As for Commission III's call to amend the KPK Law, Johan, a former KPK spokesperson, emphasized that he rejected the proposal even if it would cost him the KPK commissioner position.
'Tomorrow there will be a plenary session to determine whether to go ahead with the plan to revise the KPK Law, do you agree with the House's move?,' asked United Development Party (PPP) lawmaker Hazrul Azwar, who has been questioned by the KPK in a number of graft cases.
Johan responded by saying that the planned amendment would likely weaken the KPK. 'It has always been said that the revision is aimed at strengthening the KPK but the revision draft that we saw apparently aimed at weakening the KPK. I reject the revision although it could mean that Commission III will not pick me,' Johan told the forum on Monday.
Meanwhile, Akbar Faizal of the NasDem Party, whose sectretary-general, Rio Capella, was arrested for graft in October, asked Johan questions related to how the KPK handled graft cases.
'I have to ask this question, is it true that in the case of OC Kaligis [a former NasDem executive], investigators assigned by the KPK to handle the case lacked certification?,' Akbar queried.
Johan denied allegations that KPK investigators had not received proper training and did not possess certification in their respective fields of expertise.
Commission III members also allotted more time for Alexander to answer questions during Monday's hearing.
In his answers, Alexander, who claimed that KPK prosecutors lacked experience in formulating prosecutions against graft defendants, said that the KPK under his leadership would open joint investigations with the National Police and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to prevent conflicts in the future.
'Joint investigations could compromise the KPK's independence in investigating corrupt officials at the two institutions. And we're not talking about the KPK's probe against high-ranking officials from the two law enforcement agencies,' Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) activist Aradilla Caesar said on Monday on the sidelines of the confirmation hearing.
Candidate Saut Situmorang, an expert at the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), also attended Monday's confirmation hearing. The House is set to grill four other candidates on Tuesday and another two on Wednesday.
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