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Recent misconduct by own investigators puts KPK in spotlight
The KPK has named its own investigator, Stepanus Robin Pattuju, a suspect in a bribery case related to alleged collusion in the appointment of Tanjung Balai administration officials in North Sumatra.
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Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Firli Bahuri announces South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah a bribery suspect in a press conference on Feb. 28. (Courtesy of/KPK)
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n the eyes of the public, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators are the backbone of the agency, whose integrity and dedication are hailed as critical in the country’s antigraft
Recently, however, KPK investigators have been caught in a series of high-profile gaffes that include the alleged misappropriation of evidence and extortion, putting a dent in the agency’s reputation as Indonesia’s leading graft buster.
The KPK named its own investigator, Stepanus Robin Pattuju, a suspect last week in a bribery case related to alleged collusion in the appointment of Tanjung Balai administration officials in North Sumatra.
Stepanus stands accused of conspiring with lawyer Markus Husein to get Rp 1.5 billion (US$103,470) in kickbacks from Tanjung Balai Mayor Muhammad Syahrial in exchange for the KPK to drop its investigation into alleged collusion in the latter’s administration. Stepanus himself allegedly accepted Rp 1.3 billion. Both Markus and Muhammad have also been named suspects in the case.
Under the newest KPK Law, revised in late 2019 despite widespread public protests against new provisions that essentially declawed the agency, the commission is allowed to drop investigations into unsolved cases that show no progress for at least two years.
Read also: BREAKING: KPK bill passed into law
