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KPK praised for top-level arrests, but activists demand more
The arrests of Edhy and Juliari came as controversies within the KPK eroded public trust in the institution. These included an ethics violation by the commission’s new chairman, Firli Bahuri, and a restrictive new law that stripped the agency of some of its power to investigate graft cases.
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he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was busy in the weeks leading up to International Anticorruption Day, which was commemorated on Dec. 9. The agency uncovered two instances of alleged bribery that implicated Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo and Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara in two sting operations.
The arrests of Edhy and Juliari came as controversies within the KPK eroded public trust in the institution. These included an ethics violation by the commission’s new chairman, Firli Bahuri, and a restrictive new law that stripped the agency of some of its power to investigate graft cases.
Other controversies included a KPK plan to procure cars for its highest-ranking officials and a recent reorganization that added 19 new positions or departments and removed three existing ones.
A recent survey by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) found that only 22.2 percent of respondents believed law enforcement against graft had been better in recent times, about half of the 44.1 percent of respondents who answered the same way in the 2018 survey. The survey was conducted between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3 and polled 2,000 people in the country.
Activists said that while they welcomed the KPK’s recent operations targeting high-profile figures, the antigraft agency still had more to do, citing the fact that the agency had carried out fewer sting operations under its current leadership than under past KPK leaders.
“This year saw a sharp decline in KPK performance, with one indication being the low level of enforcement through sting operations,” said Zaenur Rochman, a researcher at the Gadjah Mada University Center for Anti-Corruption Studies (Pukat UGM).
The KPK has recorded seven successful sting operations this year, down from 21 operations in 2019 and 30 in 2018.
“But we appreciate the hard work of KPK workers, who were still able to mount a real fight against corruption, in this case the arrests of two ministers, despite the KPK being plagued by troubles,” Zaenur said.
KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said the commission was well aware that the public’s perception of the institution was largely determined by the number of sting operations it carried out.
“But the KPK is not merely about sting operations. For us, this is one of many instruments of investigation,” Ali told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, adding that the fight against graft also included prevention measures.
Danang Widoyoko of Transparency International Indonesia said he wanted to see the KPK pick up its performance next year but had doubts about its independence following the revision of the KPK Law.
The new law has required the KPK to change the employment status of all its employees – including forensic auditors, investigators and prosecutors – to civil servants. This has left anticorruption activists and many KPK employees worried about potential conflicts of interest when investigators pursue cases related to the government, as well as reduced independence overall.
"The biggest immediate challenge is how the KPK will deal with the change in employment status," Danang said.
Activists are also worried about a shift in the KPK’s strategy after Firli announced plans to focus more on graft prevention than on law enforcement soon after he took the position. The KPK has yet to introduce new corruption prevention programs.
Observers have said prevention is as important as enforcement and the first is not superior to the latter.
Each year, KPK hosts a series of events to commemorate International Anticorruption Day as part of its public campaign to end the country’s culture of corruption.
Because, this year, that day coincided with voting day for the simultaneous regional elections, which was declared a national holiday, the KPK has postponed most of its events until next week. The events will involve representatives from local administrations, members of the public, activists and businesspeople and will be held mostly online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Through these events, we hope that everyone learns about their role in preventing corruption,” KPK spokesperson for prevention Ipi Maryati Kuding said. “We hope people will say no to corruption because they fear the stern legal consequences and because they realize that corruption actually robs the rights of the general public.”
