KPK Chief Urges Political Parties to Select Cadres with Integrity

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairman Setyo Budiyanto has expressed hope that political parties will select cadres who possess integrity, as this will impact welfare, development policy, and the law. The hope was conveyed by Setyo when asked for his response regarding a former corruption convict who registered with a political party. “It is hoped that the cadres are people who have integrity,” Setyo said after the inauguration of the Setiabudi Integrity Bus Stop in Jakarta, Sunday (21/6). He also mentioned that the public can assess the matter of former corruption convicts re-entering political parties. He left that judgement to the public, with the hope that political parties have cadres of integrity. “So, regarding that issue, certainly the public can judge, all parties can judge that the most important thing is that everyone has integrity,” said Setyo. He assessed that integrity within political parties is necessary because it concerns the activities carried out by those cadres, not only related to politics, but also impacting development policy, and even the law. “Because why? The products produced, all activities carried out will later be related not only to political matters, but also impact welfare, development policy, and even the law,” he said. Setyo continued, “Therefore, everything certainly requires integrity that has an important impact. That is my only answer. Alright, thank you.” It is known that the former corruption convict is former Southeast Sulawesi Governor Nur Alam, who is reportedly joining the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). Previously, Nur Alam was a National Mandate Party (PAN) politician who served as Governor of Southeast Sulawesi for two terms. In 2016, the KPK named him a suspect in bribery and gratification related to the issuance of nickel mining business permits in Southeast Sulawesi for the 2009-2014 period, which caused state losses of Rp4.3 trillion. He once filed a pretrial motion against his suspect designation at the South Jakarta District Court, which was rejected by the judge. The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced him to 12 years in prison, which was later increased to 15 years by the Jakarta High Court. However, at the cassation level, the Supreme Court reduced his sentence to 12 years in prison. In its considerations, the judges assessed that Nur Alam was not proven to have enriched himself as stipulated in Article 3 of the Corruption Eradication Law. He was proven to have violated Article 12B concerning gratification.