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s following the latest crime trend in the republic, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is pushing for an investigation into and greater supervision of public institutions, particularly judicial authorities, in an attempt to curb dirty practices and combat a judicial “mafia”.

It will not be an easy task to perform, however, given the commission’s lack of human resources, especially investigators, and the budget it receives from the state.

“We will watch [the courts] and coordinate with the Supreme Court as well,” KPK deputy chairman Alexander Marwata said on Tuesday after a hearing with House of Representatives Commission III overseeing security, human rights and legal affairs.

He said the KPK could not be reckless in chasing the judicial mafia, because investigators had been working based on information and complaints and that it had been frequently difficult to find evidence.

The Supreme Court is currently in hot water after a number of its court clerks and low-ranking officials were arrested.

Most recently, in May, the KPK apprehended Judge Janner Purba, head of the Kepahiang District Court in Bengkulu, and fellow Judge Toton, from the Bengkulu Corruption Court.

The two allegedly accepted Rp 150 million (US$11,200) from Syafei Syarif and Edy Santoni, the former treasurer and financial division deputy, respectively, at Muhammad Yunus hospital, and from Badaruddin, a court clerk, in relation to a graft case surrounding the misuse of operational funds at the hospital.

Another KPK deputy chairman Basaria Panjaitan revealed that in the first half of this year, the antigraft body had handled 37 corruption cases, 35 of which were in the advanced investigation stage and the other two in the preliminary stage.

According to the antigraft body, its investigators can handle 60 to 70 cases a year, but they aim to handle up to 90 cases a year by 2017 if they can take on enough human resources and receive more funding. Basaria said the KPK currently had around 120 investigators, while it actually needed 200.

Despite the higher target, the KPK stands to receive Rp 766 billion from next year’s budget, lower than this year’s budget of Rp 1.06 trillion.

This year also the commission suffered a budget cut, forcing it to delay the procurement of various goods and services worth Rp 69 billion.

Thus, KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo has requested an extra Rp 87 billion from next year’s state budget, Rp 49.9 billion of which will go toward investigations so that the KPK can reach its target.

House Commission III agree that the KPK should have more budget to enable it to perform better next year, and have thus urged the Finance Ministry to meet the KPK’s demand.

Jazilul Fawaid of the National Awakening Party (PKB) said it would not make any sense for the ministry to not grant the KPK’s wishes.
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