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.