Former KPK Spokesperson Confused By The Statement Of The Deputy Chairperson Of The KPK Giving Gratuity To In-laws Or Girlfriends Can Be Considered Bribery

JAKARTA - Former spokesman for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Febri Diansyah was confused by the statement by the Deputy Chair of the KPK, Nurul Ghufron, who said that gifts to in-laws and girlfriends of officials were a form of gratification and would lead to bribery if not reported.

This confusion arose because what Ghufron said was not in accordance with the KPK Gratification Control Guidelines. He wrote this through a thread on his Twitter account @febridiansyah.

"I'm a bit confused by this statement from the KPK Leader @Nurul_Ghufron regarding Gratification," wrote Febri commenting on Ghufron's statement, Wednesday, December 1.

The anti-corruption activist said Ghufron's statement was inappropriate because gifts from his family did not need to be reported. However, the gift must be ensured that it does not have a purpose or result in a conflict of interest.

"The Gratification Control Guidelines issued by the KPK are as follows: One of the gratifications that are not required to be reported: gifts due to family relationships, namely grandparents, father/mother/in-law, husband/wife, as long as there is no conflict of interest," he said.

Before closing the thread, Febri said that Ghufron's statement was considered to obscure the concept of giving gratification. Not only that, he joked that the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK did not pay attention to people who did not have a spouse or in-laws.

"There are many problems in the statement. One of them is whether the statement considers people who don't have girlfriends (let alone in-laws)," he said.

"More than that, the more unclear the difference between bribery and gratification there. And the concept of giving is increasingly blurred that has a relationship with the position in gratification," added Febri.

As previously reported, KPK Deputy Chair Nurul Ghufron said that giving gratuities to families including in-laws who are officials could lead to allegations of bribery if not reported.

Moreover, based on Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999 it is stated that state administrators are prohibited from accepting any gifts.

"It's okay between residents, you and your boyfriend, you and your in-laws don't have a relationship. But if it turns out that your boyfriend is the regent, your father-in-law is the director general, it's the minister who has then covered the legal aspects of gratification," said Ghufron in the discussion. entitled Webinar on Gratification Control: Removing the Roots of Corruption and giving appreciation to the 2021 Gratification reporter which was broadcast on the Indonesian KPK YouTube, Tuesday, November 30.

"Then this gratuity to state officials is considered a bribe if it is not reported," he added.

Ghufron then explained that gratification for state officials could be in various forms, such as money, goods, or services. If an official later accepts the matter but does not report it within 30 working days to the KPK, they can be charged with accepting bribes.

Therefore, Ghufron asked officials without exception to report the gratuities given to them. According to him, reporting is important because gratification can hinder objectivity and justice.

"This is what we need to avoid. Usually when someone wants to be loved, they always give gifts, buy chocolates, give orchids, give roses to deposit rates. ' said Ghufron.

"Now this is what causes us to need to avoid aspects of public service, we prohibit the administration of government for gratification because it will undermine justice," he concluded.