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KPK to deepen investigation into Komnas HAM budget case
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Maintaining credibility – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Basaria Panjaitan (second from left) and National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chairman Imdadun Rahmat (third from right) give a press statement after a meeting at the antigraft body’s headquarters in Jakarta on Nov.2. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conveyed on Wednesday its readiness to deepen an investigation into the National Commission on Human Rights’ (Komnas HAM) alleged budget irregularities amid the rights body’s commitment to carry out internal reforms.
“At a glance, we have seen some irregularities. However, we have to conduct deeper investigation before drawing any conclusion,” KPK commissioner Basaria Pandjaitan told journalists after a meeting with Komnas HAM on Wednesday.
She referred to the result of a financial audit conducted by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) on the commission’s 2015 financial report.
In the audit result reported in June, BPK stated that it had found questionable spending amounting to more than Rp 2 billion (US$153,421) in Komnas HAM’s financial report. That amount includes Rp 1.02 billion of expenses without receipts, Rp 820.25 million of suspected embezzlement and Rp 330 million of fictitious spending on renting residences for officials.
As the result, BPK issued a disclaimer opinion, its worst level of financial evaluation, for the commission’s financial report.
“We come here to ask the KPK to help us reform our managerial system [...],” Komnas HAM chairman Imdadun Rahmat said.
He said the commission submitted the finding to the KPK with hopes that it could investigate the alleged irregularities, which implicated one of its commissioners, Dianto Bachriadi.
Imdadun said that in a plenary meeting on Wednesday, Dianto had been dismissed from his post and had been ordered to file a resignation letter.
Basaria applauded Komnas HAM’s internal reforms, saying what matters most is that Komnas HAM maintains its credibility in the eyes of the public. (fac/ebf)
