Rp4 Billion Extortion At The KPK Detention Center, UGM Pukat Asks Zero Tolerance For Integrity Principle Violators To Be Implemented

Illustration of the KPK. (Amatanews)

JAKARTA - Researcher from the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies at Gadjah Mada University (Pukat UGM) Yogyakarta Zaenur Rohman said that the findings of illegal levies (extortion) at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Detention Center (Rutan), which amounted to Rp4 billion, had to be thoroughly investigated. "This extortion must be thoroughly investigated. Not only those who receive money, but I see that there are several tracks that must be passed," said Zaenur when contacted, Wednesday, June 21, confiscated by Antara.

According to Zaenur, there are three things that need to be done. First, enforcement of criminal law as an accountability for those who commit extortion by requesting or receiving gifts from parties dealing with the KPK Detention Center. "That is from the criminal side, the second is in terms of enforcement of ethics and discipline," said Zaenur. Zaenur explained, in terms of ethics and discipline, strict, clear, and hard sanctions need to be enforced for the perpetrators involved in the extortion.

He also encouraged the implementation of the principle of zero tolerance in investigating this case. "There must be zero tolerance for violations of the principle of integrity at the KPK. Of course, if you have received gratuities like this, you must be dismissed," he said.

The third is evaluation from the staffing side. According to Zaenur, evaluation is not only carried out on prison officials who are involved in extortion, but also all elements of the KPK, including the ranks of superiors in the anti-corruption agency. "What needs to be considered is so that problems, weak points, then the flaws must be covered so that something similar does not happen in the future," said Zaenur.

Previously, the KPK Supervisory Board (Dewas) asked the head of the anti-corruption agency to follow up on the findings of extortion at the KPK detention center, which amounted to Rp4 billion in the period December 2021-March 2022.

"The Supervisory Board has conveyed to the KPK leadership that it should be followed up by conducting an investigation because this is already a criminal act," said KPK Dewas Chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean in a press conference at the ACLC KPK Building, Jakarta, Monday, June 19. Meanwhile, KPK member Albertina Ho explained that the illegal levies were carried out on detainees detained at the KPK Detention Center. A number of forms of levies involved illegal levies in the form of cash deposits, to transactions involving accounts of third parties. KPK then made changes to a number of prison officials after the findings of the illegal levies. "KPK also immediately carried out rotations from several employees at the KPK branch detention center to then make it easier for the KPK investigation team to also to investigate," said Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri in Jakarta, Tuesday 20 June. Ali Fikri revealed that the replacement of the prison personnel was carried out to facilitate the investment process of cases of alleged extortion and improvement of the detention system.