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KPK opens ethics hearing into prison bribery scandal
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Motorists are reflected in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building’s name plate in Jakarta on June 27, 2023.
(AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) supervisory council began a series of ethics hearings on Wednesday into the conduct of 93 employees accused of soliciting illegal payments from KPK detainees in exchange for prison perks.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, council member Syamsudin Haris said it would hold at least seven back-to-back ethics hearings to question the 93 detention center workers in the coming days.
In the first six hearings, he said, the council would question 90 of the suspects, those who were thought to have personally sought bribes from KPK detainees. The remaining three employees would be summoned to a separate hearing as they were suspected of masterminding the scheme.
“The 93 [people] include current and former wardens of the detentions centers […] and regular staff attending to the detainees,” Syamsudin said.
“By giving the illicit money, the detainees would get ‘extra services’ in return, such as being allowed to carry a mobile phone to communicate [with the outside world],” he continued.
Accepting payments for illicit services is considered abuse of power under the KPK ethics code. Workers found guilty may be given administrative penalties, such as temporary suspension, pay cuts, being made to deliver a public apology or dismissal, depending on the severity of the crime and their position in the antigraft body.
Read also: KPK faces uphill battle to regain public faith
