KPK on Appointment of Ex-Prosecutors for Febrie Case: They Have the Competence

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stated that the special team comprising prosecutors who previously served at the anti-graft agency, formed to handle the alleged corruption case of Febrie Adriansyah, possesses the necessary competence and extensive experience. KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo views the appointment as a positive development demonstrated by the Attorney General’s Office. “We see that the competence and experience they gained while serving at the KPK are indeed needed to assist in the investigation process of this case,” Budi Prasetyo said at the Merah Putih Building, Jakarta, on Wednesday evening (15/7). Budi expressed confidence that the prosecutors could resolve the three alleged corruption and money laundering cases linked to Febrie, the former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes. “We believe that so far the progress is positive, and the KPK continues to monitor its development. So, we will see how it goes from today onwards,” Budi stated. He added that the KPK would provide full support to the Attorney General’s Office to complete the handling of this high-profile corruption case. In this context, Budi referred to the KPK’s coordination and supervision authority as stipulated in Article 6 letter b and Article 8 of Law Number 19 of 2019 concerning the second amendment to Law 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission. Supervision is the KPK’s authority to conduct oversight, research, and review of agencies authorised to carry out corruption eradication, namely the Police and the Attorney General’s Office. Under this mechanism, the KPK can take over the investigation or prosecution of a corruption case being handled by the Police or the Attorney General’s Office if: (a) a public report is not followed up, (b) the process is slow or stalled, (c) there are systemic obstacles, or (d) the case has a wide impact. The takeover is carried out at the KPK’s request after coordination, not unilaterally. “If later there are obstacles, challenges, or hindrances, we can certainly unravel them together because from the outset the KPK has been conducting intensive communication, albeit informally, with colleagues at the Police and the Attorney General’s Office,” Budi explained. “So, informal communication and coordination have actually been carried out, and this is also regulated in the KPK’s authority or duties under Article 6 of Law Number 19 of 2019, which is then detailed regarding supervision in Presidential Regulation 102/2020, where supervision also has its stages,” he continued. The nine prosecutors who are members of the special team to handle the alleged corruption case involving Febrie are: 1. Inspector of Finance II at the Junior Attorney General for Supervision, Agus Salim; 2. Head of the North Sumatra High Prosecutor’s Office, Muhibuddin; 3. Director of Tracing and Seizure Management at the Asset Recovery Agency of the Attorney General’s Office, Chatarina Muliana Girsang; 4. Inspector of Finance I at the Junior Attorney General for Supervision, Riono; 5. Secretary of the Junior Attorney General for General Crimes, Agus Sahat; 6. Director of Legal Considerations at the Junior Attorney General for Civil and State Administration, Irene Putri; 7. Deputy Head of the Banten High Prosecutor’s Office, Rinaldi Umar; 8. Director of Prosecution at the Junior Attorney General for Military Crimes, Zet Tadong Allo; and 9. Director A at the Junior Attorney General for General Crimes, Hari Wibowo.