The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) started implementing on Wednesday a regulation that requires it to handcuff detainees.

“We are improving the safeguards. The rule regarding handcuffs for detainees leaving their cells is to be implemented from today,” KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said on Wednesday. 

He said the commission had received many recommendations from the public related on the treatment of detainees when they were being questioned at the KPK office or when they were away from their cell.

The handcuffing of KPK detainees is stipulated in Article 12 of KPK Regulation No. 01/2012 on the treatment of KPK detainees.

On the first day of 2019, he said, the regulation was carried out at a number of detention centers. In Jakarta and Bandung, seven detainees were handcuffed respectively, as well as 18 in Surabaya, one in Medan and one in Ambon.

Febri said suspects Billy Sindoro, Henry Jasmen P. Sitohang and Taryudi of the Meikarta project graft case would be taken to the Bandung Corruption Court for trial in handcuffs.

He said Hendry Saputra, Wahid Husen, Andri Rahmat and Fahmi Darmawansyah who were suspects in the Sukamiskin Penitentiary bribery case would also be in handcuffs today.

In September, photos of graft convict related to the e-ID card project, Setya Novanto, at a rest area on a toll road went viral. Netizens thought Novanto was traveling freely because he was not wearing the KPK orange vest or handcuffs.

 (ggq)