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Resignation of KPK spokesman adds to surge in departures
News about the resignation of 31 employees broke after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed the resignation of Febri Diansyah, the head of the KPK's public relations bureau and former spokesperson.
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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed that dozens of its employees have resigned from the agency.
The word on resignations broke days after the antigraft body confirmed that its public relations head and former spokesperson, Febri Diansyah, had resigned from the commission.
KPK acting spokesperson Ali Fikri said that 31 employees had filed their resignation letters between January and September.
“They resigned for various reasons. Most of them stated they wanted to develop their career outside of the KPK,” Ali said in a statement on Saturday.
He added that such resignations were common within the KPK, as 126 employees had resigned from the commission between 2016 and 2019.
The spokesperson went on to say that the antigraft body respected their decisions and urged the resigned employees to become “anti-corruption agents” to promote antigraft values based on their experience working with the KPK.
“We understand that it is not an easy decision to resign, or to keep fighting against corruption from within the KPK amid changing situations,” said Ali.
In his resignation letter dated Sept. 18, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, Febri cited “changes in the KPK’s political and legal state” over the past 11 months as the reason for his departure. Many assumed that he was referring to changes caused by the controversial revision to the KPK Law in September last year.
“Through this letter, I also want to thank the KPK leaders, my direct supervisors, the secretary-general and other colleagues at the KPK, all the learning processes, differences of opinion and joint work that have been done before,” Febri writes in the letter, the authenticity of which has been confirmed by Ali.
Febri confirmed his resignation to journalists on Thursday. “Yes, with all my love for the KPK, I bid my farewell,” he said.
Febri’s official resignation is presumed to take effect on Oct. 18.
Prior to joining the KPK, Febri was an activist of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). He served as the commission’s spokesperson and public relations bureau head in 2016 until the commission appointed two acting new spokespersons in December 2019.
Laode M. Syarif, a former KPK commissioner who served from 2015 to 2019, wished Febri good luck in a written statement.
“His resignation from the KPK should be regretted because he is an important asset of the commission in maintaining its dignity,” Laode said.
“I really believe that wherever he is, he will always fight to prevent and eradicate corruption, because anticorruption is in his DNA.”
Activists previously said that the KPK was “entering its bleakest days [and] no longer trusted by the public” due to its poor enforcement against graft suspects and controversies embroiling the commission, which is currently led by police general Comr. Gen. Firli Bahuri. (kuk/mfp)
