Anticorruption chief to target law enforcement institutions

Anticorruption chief to target law enforcement institutions

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Newly elected chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK) Taufieqqurrochman Ruki vowed on Wednesday to develop the
commission into a credible institution to lead the country in
eradicating endemic corruption.

Once the organization is established, KPK would focus on
corruption eradication in the civil service, law enforcement
institutions and the private sector, he said.

Ruki said the three areas were most the prone to corruption
practices that could inflict great losses to the state.

"I am also focussing on corruption eradication in law
enforcement institutions because it would be impossible to clean
a dirty floor with a dirty broom," Ruki told The Jakarta Post in
a telephone interview on Wednesday.

KPK, he said, would examine high profile corruption cases
currently in the hands of police and prosecutors before deciding
whether or not to take over the investigation and prosecution
from the two institutions.

"We can examine and take over (investigation into corruption
cases). But, we must be sure that we have better capability,"
Ruki said.

He promised that KPK would maintain accountability by being
transparent to the public. He said the commission would report
the development of each investigation every three months to the
President, the House of Representatives, universities, non-
governmental institutions as well as those who needed it.

Ruki also promised that the five KPK leaders, including
himself, would not cover for the mistakes of their colleagues
should they be involved in bribery or collusion.

"The KPK leadership must be clean and trustworthy. If one of
us fails to fulfill the requirement, he must resign. The House
must select another one," he said.

The first six months after its establishment, which is
scheduled for Dec. 27, would be spent to develop the KPK
organization, Ruki said.

Ruki promised that the recruitment of KPK personnel would be
transparent in a bid to get personnel with integrity. Ruki also
planned to make the KPK "a not-too-big organization because we
need to work fast".

For the same reason, Ruki did not expect the KPK to establish
branches in provinces despite its authority to eradicate
corruption across the country.

On Wednesday, criticism continued of the newly elected KPK
executive body.

Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais
and former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur' Wahid expressed
pessimism whether KPK could lead the country in its move to
eradicate corruption.

"KPK cannot do anything without the commitment of the
government to eradicate corruption," Amien was quoted by Antara
as saying in Surabaya.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and
Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Commission Albert Hasibuan
and Chairman of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Teten
Masduki questioned the House's decision not to elect several
candidates known for their integrity such as prosecutor M. Yamin
and former cabinet minister and attorney general Marsillam
Simanjuntak.

"The House, particularly Commission II, has failed to put
aside their political interests in choosing the KPK's leaders,"
Albert said.

The establishment of the KPK is expected to help the country
combat widespread corruption. It has the authority to
investigate and prosecute corruption cases -- previously the
domain of the police and the prosecutors' office -- particularly
cases involving the state apparatus and cases that have caused
state losses amounting to a minimum of Rp 1 billion.