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Analysis: Will Firli's extortion charges lead the KPK into the abyss?
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KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri shows evidence of suspected bribery and suspects at a press conference to determine the suspect in a suspected corruption case, the construction of the Cimahi Kasih Bunda Hospital building, at the KPK Building, Jakarta, Saturday (28/11/2020). The KPK officially named and detained two suspects in the case, namely Cimahi Mayor Ajay Muhammad Priatna and Commissioner of the Kasih Bunda Hospital, Hutama Yonathan. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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ublic trust in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) may have hit a record low after the Jakarta police named the antigraft body's chairman Firli Bahuri a suspect for allegedly extorting former agriculture minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo. To regain the much-needed credibility, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo suspended Firli and appointed Nawawi Pomalongo as an interim leader, but the move did little to help the KPK regain ground.
A spokesman for the Jakarta police, Sr. Comr. Ade Safri Simanjuntak, said investigators had secured sufficient incriminating evidence to arraign Firli. The list of evidence includes foreign exchange receipts in Singapore and United States dollar denominations from several money changer outlets worth Rp 7.4 billion dated from February 2021 to September 2023. Along with this piece of crucial evidence, authorities also confiscated 21 mobile phones from witnesses, 17 email accounts, four flash drives, two vehicles, three e-money accounts, one remote keyless entry fob and a brown wallet.
Firli will be charged under Article 12E, Article 11B of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 65 Paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code, which could hand him a life sentence if he is found guilty.
Firli, however, has remained at large despite the charges. He has continued to show up at the KPK, spreading fear among investigators about the impacts of his arraignment on their work. For example, the validity of documents signed by Firli could become a subject of questioning and could potentially be perceived as lacking legal basis.
One of the investigators said that KPK leaders have agreed to suspend Firli, but they have still allowed him to be present in the office and even to lead strategic meetings. The investigator added that KPK deputy chairman Alexander Marwata's statement that he was not embarrassed by Firli being named a suspect might further erode public trust in the commission.
Firli's attorney Ian Iskandar has stated that his client will be challenging the Jakarta police's decision to name him a suspect, saying the move had no legal ground. Ian claims that the police investigators never presented the evidence they seized in the case. In fact, Firli filed a pretrial lawsuit with the South Jakarta District Court against the city police chief Insp. Gen. Karyoto, a former head of the KPK's enforcement division.
The pretrial is set to begin on Dec. 11. National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo has ordered all investigators to prepare themselves for the court battle. Listyo understands that Firli's pretrial bid is his right, but he asked the Jakarta police to work hard to convince the judge that their decision on Firli is justifiable.
