House starts screening corruption-busting aspirants<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Six candidates for appointment to the long-awaited Corruption
\nEradication Commission (KPK) boasted of their skills, courage and
\nhonesty on Monday during a selection hearing with the House of
\nRepresentatives, and proclaimed their eminent suitability to be
\ndrafted into the war against corruption.<\/p>\n
The six were among 10 candidates to be examined by the House's
\nlegal and home affairs commission. Four others will be examined
\non Tuesday. Each candidate was questioned for 45 minutes.<\/p>\n
M. Yamin, a prosecutor for over 30 years, said that he would
\nprioritize the stamping out of bribery.<\/p>\n
Yamin promised not to make any deals with third parties, and
\nwould investigate and prosecute high profile misuses of state
\nbudget funds. He also said that he would not hesitate to
\ninvestigate his previous superiors.<\/p>\n
Forty-seven out of 61 legislators attended the hearing on
\nMonday. Some of them, including legislator Setya Novanto, did not
\nask any questions of the candidates. Many of the legislators were
\nseen leaving the committee room on various occasions for periods
\nof more than 15 minutes.<\/p>\n
Another aspirant, Chairul Imam, a prosecutor-turned-member of
\nthe Public Servants Wealth Audit Commission, vowed that he would
\nensure the KPK would follow up on corruption cases involving
\nstate officials whose prosecution has been delayed as the
\npresident had yet to give her consent to the police or
\nprosecutors to investigate.<\/p>\n
He said he would not hesitate to resign from the KPK if other
\nstate officials or individuals managed to interfere with the
\ncommission.<\/p>\n
Former cabinet secretary Marsillam Simanjuntak, who was also
\nquestioned on Monday, said that he hoped he could get involved in
\nreforming law enforcement, which was currently riddled with
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
Lawyer-cum-activist Iskandar Sonhadji, another candidate, told
\nlegislators that he expected to improve networking with other
\ninstitutions here and abroad to help the country eradicate
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
Another hopeful, Taufikurrahman Ruki, said he would prioritize
\ncorruption eradication in the public service, law enforcement
\ninstitutions and business.<\/p>\n
Despite the fact that they often joked with Ruki, legislators
\nfailed to question the former police officer, who once served as
\na legislator with the military\/police faction, over his reported
\nclose relations with notorious businessmen in Malang, East Java.<\/p>\n
The House earlier obtained a report from a watchdog group
\nsaying that Ruki, the former Malang Police chief, had abused his
\npowers by protecting the businessmen, which were being
\ninvestigated for running illegal businesses.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, the fifth candidate,
\ndefended the Attorney General's Office when a legislator said
\nthat the AGO had shown no willingness to eradicate corruption.<\/p>\n
\"We have brought many cases to court. But we and the courts
\noften have different perceptions on corruption that lead to the
\nacquittal of the defendants,\" said the former prosecutor.<\/p>\n
Panggabean, who is supported by Attorney General M.A. Rachman
\nfor the KPK post, asserted that he would have to coordinate with
\npolice and prosecutors when asked whether he would take over
\nprosecutions and investigations from the police and prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Rachman has been reported by the KPKPN to the police over
\nalleged inaccuracies in his wealth declaration. The police have
\nyet to investigate his case as they are still awaiting approval
\nfor such an investigation from the President.<\/p>\n
Several legislators questioned him about the fact that his
\ndaughter had recently landed a job with the Central Jakarta
\nDistrict Court.<\/p>\n
Before the members of the legal and home affairs commission,
\neach of the candidates signed a document declaring that the
\ninformation he had given during the hearing was true, and that he
\nhad never committed any acts of collusion, corruption, nepotism
\nor misconduct in his previous employment.<\/p>\n
The document also stipulated that the candidates must resign
\nfrom their KPK posts should they be proven to have lied to the
\nHouse.<\/p>\n
Legislators are slated to select five out of the 10 candidates
\nfor the KPK executive on Tuesday. President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri is expected to establish the KPK on Dec. 27.<\/p>\n
The KPK is referred to as a super body based on its authority
\nto prosecute and investigate high profile corruption cases. It
\nalso has the power to take over corruption cases from the police
\nand prosecutors.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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