T

he tension between the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) seems to be easing since the new police chief said he welcomed help from the antigraft body to conduct internal reform.

Newly appointed National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said his organization need the KPK to combat graft in the force, known as most corrupt institution in the country.

Tito said after a meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister that he would intensify communications with the antigraft body to help reform the police’s image.

“We have met a couple of times informally, but later we will intensify the meetings,” the former chief of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) said over the weekend.

The police are preparing to draft a police chief decree that would stipulate that police personnel must submit their official wealth reports (LHKPN) to the KPK, a measure largely avoided by high-ranking police officers in the past.

“The discussion with the KPK will include the technicality of submitting LHKPN reports,” he said.

During Tito’s inauguration, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo ordered him to focus on maintaining internal unity and conducting comprehensive and concrete reforms to curb corruption and improve the poor performance of the body.

The two institutions had drawn public attention after a fight last year. It started when the KPK announced that the then candidate to be National Police chief, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, was suspected of owning illegal assets. The police struck back by arresting a KPK deputy chairman, Bambang Widjojanto.

Police observer Bambang Widodo Umar of the University of Indonesia said that the agreement between the two institutions should be strengthened by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to clarify the extend and authority of the KPK.

He said he was skeptical that the police would want an external party to oversee its personnel, explaining that “even a high-ranking official once refused to submit his LHKPN report”.

“Since 2001 when it was no longer under the military, the police kept pledging to reform. However, there have not been any significant changes until now,” he told The Jakarta Post.

He said that the new chief bore a huge responsibility, as there were many things to be reformed. Therefore making a realistic and measurable target was necessary.

KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said that the KPK would be ready to provide assistance whenever needed. Commissioner Laode M. Syarif said he would wait for further meetings with the police before making any more comments. (fac)