KPK, prosecutors agree to join forces
KPK, prosecutors agree to join forces
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Renewing their commitment to the fight against corruption, the
Attorney General's Office (AGO) and the Corruption Eradication
Commission (KPK) signed on Tuesday an agreement that enables them
to fully cooperate in addressing one of the country's most
chronic problems.
The agreement, signed by Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh
and KPK chief Taufiqurrahman Ruki, allows KPK investigators to
make use of AGO facilities, including bugging devices, and
detention and training centers.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will hold a regular
meeting every three months to share information, discuss progress
in the investigation and prosecution of cases and exchange
confidential information on government officials' wealth reports.
Abdul welcomed the agreement, saying the lack of coordination
between government institutions had resulted in poor performance
in corruption eradication.
He said that law enforcement authorities like the police,
state prosecutors and the KPK were regulated under different
laws, therefore, it was not easy for them to cooperate.
"The cooperation between the KPK and the AGO will stimulate a
psychological battle against embezzlers. We need that to counter
the tendency to fight back," Abdul said, referring to resistance
from corruption suspects.
He said the agreement would boost the country's war on graft.
The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) recently
ranked Indonesia as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia.
The KPK signed a similar agreement with the National Police in
July.
Taufiqurrahman said that, according to Law No. 30/2002, the
KPK was tasked with supervision and coordination among law
enforcement authorities. But the KPK has to involve itself in the
investigation and prosecution process due to the poor performance
of police and prosecutors in combating graft.
"The KPK was actually established to prevent corruption. It
could take action through investigation or prosecution, but only
at a low level. It should not have been necessary for us to be
active in investigation and prosecution as we are now," Ruki
said.
As a part of the agreement, Ruki said the KPK would review
cases that the police or prosecutors had dropped.
"We will determine the reasons for the suspension of the
investigations. But if the investigators lacked evidence, and we
fail to uncover new evidence, we won't bother to open the cases"
he said.