Showered With Criticism, Firli Bahuri's Corruption Eradication Commission Shows Off Saving Rp
JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nurul Ghufron said that his party managed to save the country from losses of Rp. 592 trillion through prevention carried out during this year.
He even said that his success in saving state finances was greater than the KPK leadership in the previous period.
"The results of the prevention carried out by the KPK have saved potential state losses during our year of work reaching Rp. 592 trillion. Far more than the five-year performance of the previous period which reached Rp. 63.4 trillion," Ghufron said in a written statement received by VOI, Tuesday, December 29.
This was conveyed in response to the criticism thrown by the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) which said that law enforcement in the Firli Bahuri era was weaker than Agus Rahardjo, who served in the 2016-2019 period.
He considered, ICW should be able to see various aspects that have been done by the KPK at this time. According to him, even though currently the COVID-19 pandemic is occurring, the anti-graft commission can still move and achieve optimal results, especially in overseeing the funds issued by the government to deal with this health problem.
Although his party appreciated ICW's criticism, Ghufron asked them not only to view the KPK as a commission to catch corruptors. The assessment, he said, must be carried out comprehensively, including paying attention to the performance of the prevention that is currently being carried out.
"The KPK appreciates and is grateful for ICW's assessment which always pays attention to the KPK. But unfortunately, ICW is like a person who has diabetes so that his tastes cannot be comprehensive," he said.
"In ICW's view, the KPK is a commission to catch corruptors so that only when the KPK catches new corruptors is considered to be working. ICW does not look comprehensively on all lines, ICW neglects the performance of prevention so that its duty and function to educate the public to be aware and not behave is not considered the KPK," he added.
Furthermore, he also believed that the Indonesian people would understand better than ICW. "So, what is conveyed by ICW will contradict public awareness of anti-corruption," he said.
Previously reported, ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana alluded to the setback of enforcement in the era of Firli Bahuri's leadership. Moreover, based on the evaluation records of the last year the KPK made by ICW and Transparency International (TII), it seems that there is a drastic decline in the current performance of the anti-graft commission, especially in the field of prosecution.
According to Kurnia, based on existing data from the annual evaluation records, in 2019, the number of investigations reached 145 cases but currently - in the Firli Bahuri period - only 91 cases. The decline also occurred in case prosecutions. If in 2019 there were 153 cases that went to prosecution, this year it only reached 75 cases.
"Then in the context of the number of arrests, in 2020 the KPK only conducted seven arrests. In contrast to the previous years, 2019 21 times, 2018 30 times, 2017 19 times, and 2016 17 times," he said in his written statement.
Not only that, the KPK is also experiencing a decline in the level of public trust and this is based on the results of the survey issued by the Alvara Research Center, Indo Barometer, Charta Politica, LSI, and Kompas Research and Development Center. This results in a decrease in the level of trust due to the role of the government when enacting the new KPK Law and electing most of the problem leaders.
Not to mention, the KPK is also considered to have failed to arrest their fugitives such as former PDIP legislative candidate Harun Masiku who became a bribe for former KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan. In addition, Kurnia also mentioned several things that were considered setbacks, such as the attitude of KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri who violated the code of ethics by using helicopters for his personal gain.