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

 

Activists now say that Stephanus' case is clear evidence of loopholes in the new restrictive law that can potentially be exploited by others.

KPK chairman Firli Bahuri was quick to apologize for Stepanus’ actions, saying that the former investigator had indeed harmed the KPK’s reputation. He vowed that the agency had “zero tolerance” for any form of misconduct and ethical breach.

"We will [legally process] anyone involved, in accordance with prevailing laws," Firli said last week.

He added that the KPK investigation into alleged collusion in the Tanjung Balai administration continued.

Stepanus has also been reported to the KPK's supervisory council, which promised to intensify efforts to underline the KPK’s code of ethics among the agency’s employees to prevent future cases of misconduct.

"We are concerned about this alleged misconduct [involving Stepanus]," supervisory council chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

“We will continue to disseminate the [KPK’s] ethics code and guidelines as part of our effort to improve the integrity [of KPK employees].”

Read also: KPK praised for top-level arrests, but activists demand more

Stepanus’ case came to light not long after the KPK fired an employee in early April for stealing 1,900 grams of gold stored in KPK custody. The gold had been confiscated as evidence in a graft case that was settled by the Jakarta Corruption Court in 2019.

Tumpak said the employee, identified as IGAS and who had been assigned to a team that manages evidence, allegedly stole the gold gradually throughout January last year. He reportedly sold some of it to pay for personal debts.

Tumpak explained that the KPK had found out about the missing gold months later in June 2020, when it was about to put the gold up for auction.

The KPK immediately launched an investigation and eventually narrowed in on IGAS, who was dismissed on April 8 after the supervisory council found him guilty of violating the agency’s ethics code. He was also reported to the South Jakarta Police.

IGAS was able to get back the gold by repaying the pawnshop some Rp 900 million. All the gold has now been returned to the KPK.

In light of IGAS’ actions, acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said the KPK had restricted employee access to evidence to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

The series of blunders was a major blow to Firli’s leadership, who himself was the first KPK chairman to be found guilty of an ethical violation.

Read also: Supervisory council declares KPK chairman Firli Bahuri guilty of ethics violation

In September 2020, the KPK supervisory council found Firli guilty of displaying a “hedonistic lifestyle” after he used a private helicopter to take a personal trip from Palembang, South Sumatra, to his hometown in Baturaja in the same province.

Wawan Heru Suyatmiko of Transparency International Indonesia (TII) said the incidents should serve as a wake-up call for the KPK, particularly its supervisory council and its inspectorate to improve the professionalism and integrity of employees.

“From the operational [stand point], improvements made in the standard operating procedures in oversight, reporting of internal activities and ethics when conducting external relations should be reviewed so that they stay in line with the KPK’s values as an institution with integrity and anticorruption [fight],” Wawan said.