KPK aspirants to undergo wealth checks, House says
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
Despite previously stating otherwise, the House of Representatives (DPR) has decided to conduct a fresh round of screening for candidates for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
A. Teras Narang, chairman of House Commission II for legal and home affairs, said on Tuesday that the House was expected to evaluate the candidates' capability and integrity next week.
"We expect to interview the candidates, review their wealth reports and visit their residences," Teras Narang announced on the sidelines of a hearing of the Constitutional Commission on Tuesday.
President Megawati submitted to the House the names of 10 candidates for the planned KPK, an anticorruption body in charge of investigating and prosecuting suspected corrupters.
The 10 candidates are prosecutors M. Yamin, Chairul Imam and T.H. Panggabean, lawyer-cum-activist Iskandar Sonhadji, former state-owned company PT Timah director Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, former attorney general Marsillam Simanjuntak, former police officers Momo Kelana and Taufikurrahman Ruki as well as state auditors Syarifudin Rasul and Amien Sunaryadi.
The House will select five of the 10 to sit on the commission and send the names back to the President for approval. The President, however, is not allowed to change the names.
According to Teras Narang, legislators are expected to determine the accuracy of the candidates' wealth reports.
He also said that legislators would use information, which had been used by the KPK selection committee, to screen the candidates.
Teras Narang said earlier that the legislators would conduct only simple interviews with the candidates as they had all been screened by the selection committee.
However Romli Atmasasmita, who chaired the committee, said the information could not be shared as it was contained in state documents.
Observers have repeatedly voiced concern that legislators would not be able to be independent in selecting the candidates due to political interests.
Many alleged high-profile corruptors are members of or affiliated to political parties. Recently, the Attorney General's Office named 180 councillors from across the country as suspects in corruption cases.
Teras could not guarantee that legislators would be able to put aside their political interests in the selection process.
"I can only advise them to put aside their interests for a bigger one, which is eradicating corruption. All factions in the House have agreed on the KPK's establishment. This means they agree with the country's expectation of phasing out corruption," he said.
Teras said legislators would discuss screening procedures on Wednesday. He expects it to be finished on Dec. 15 or Dec. 16.
Each legislator will select five names among the 10 candidates, with the first five candidates becoming KPK executives.
According to Law No. 30/2001 on the Corruption Eradication Commission, the KPK executive board must be inaugurated by Dec. 27.
The selection of 10 candidates by the selection committee has been widely criticized because the committee declined to publish the outcome of the screening.
Romli admitted that activist Bambang Widjoyanto and prosecutor Juni S. had passed screening but had been withdrawn from the list and replaced with Momo and Amien for undisclosed reasons.
KPK is said to be a "superbody" for its authority to investigate corruption cases and prosecute alleged corrupters, powers that are currently the privilege of the police and prosecutors.
KPK, whose establishment has been postponed several times since 1999, will also have the power to take over investigations into corruption cases by police and prosecutors.
Many expect the KPK to boost the country's drive against rampant corruption, which worsens with each passing year.