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Synergy with other state institutions a 'new soul' of antigraft body
The KPK Law, which was swiftly enacted by the House in September and signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo a month later, was widely criticized for effectively rendering the KPK a toothless tiger.
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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building on Jl. HR Rasuna Said, Jakarta. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has taken the popular phrase “prevention is better than cure” to a whole new level as it has now been ordered to build synergy with the state institutions it is supposed to watch.
Catching politicians or powerful officials in the act during transactions – the hallmark of the past KPK in nabbing corruption perpetrators -- will soon be a thing of the past under the new code of ethics for commissioners drawn up by the KPK supervisory board.
The draft of the code, revealed by the supervisory board on March 5, includes “synergy” in place of “religiosity” as one of the values driving the work of the commissioners. This includes sharing information and data with other state institutions in fighting corruption.
Board chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean said the new code had been drawn up to accommodate the new KPK Law enacted in October.
The law emphasizes partnership, coordination, supervision and joint operations with other national institutions, placing them as the KPK’s counterparts, rather than the targets of its corruption investigations.
The KPK Law, which was swiftly enacted by the House in September and signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo a month later, was widely criticized for effectively rendering the KPK a toothless tiger.
The creation of the supervisory board with the power to veto commissioners' decisions took away much of the independence necessary to be able to work effectively. The law also took away many of the powerful tools previously used in investigations, including wire-tapping.
