The council's panel of ethics said that Firli had failed to show exemplary action in his daily behavior, as mandated by KPK Supervisory Board Regulation No. 2/2020 on the enforcement of the KPK code of ethics and conduct.

Furthermore, the panel pointed out Firli's negligence in recognizing that his attitudes and actions were inherent to and reflected his position as a KPK personnel.

“[The panel] has found [Firli] guilty of violating the [KPK's] code of ethics and conduct,” supervisory council chair Tumpak Panggabean said during a hearing on Thursday.

The council handed down a "light sentence" of written reprimand as punishment for Firli – the first-ever KPK chief to be declared guilty of an ethics violation.

Read also: Which KPK leader has caught more suspects in their early days?

The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Community (MAKI) previously filed a report against Firli for using a private helicopter to take a personal trip from Palembang, South Sumatra, to his hometown of Baturaja in the same province in June, accusing him of living a "hedonistic lifestyle".

After the hearing, Firli said that he accepted the punishment handed down by the council and vowed not to repeat his mistake.

“I take the opportunity today to apologize to all Indonesian people who may feel uncomfortable [due to my actions],” Firli told kompas.com on Thursday.

Read also: ‘My salary is enough to rent a helicopter’: KPK chair Firli Bahuri denies violating ethics

In a press conference held after the hearing, Tumpak said that he hoped there would be no more ethics violations committed by employees of the antigraft agency in the future.

“[The council] certainly hopes that all commission personnel [...] would always speak and behave in a way that maintains the dignity of the commission in accordance with the established code of ethics and behavior,” he said. (mfp)