Outdated Issues Of Taliban And Radicals Return To The KPK In The Middle Of Investigating Big-Class Corruption Cases

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was attacked with the issue of radicalism and the Taliban. This issue appeared shortly after a video was uploaded which narrated the KPK being radicalized by galvanizing a group of students to take anarchist actions during a demonstration against the revision of the KPK Law in 2019.

KPK senior investigator Novel Baswedan said this issue was fabricated and the efforts of corruptors whose interests were disrupted by the work to eradicate corruption by his institution.

"The radical and Taliban issues have often been used by supporters of corruptors, even though it is clear that these are false and far-fetched issues," Novel said to reporters, Monday, January 25.

KPK employees and investigators, he continued, already understand that this issue often arises when parties feel their interests are disturbed.

"So far this has been the case. If the KPK is working properly, they (supporters of corruptors) attack using this issue," he said.

Although this issue has repeatedly been denied by the KPK, Novel sees this issue as still an effective tool to attack.

However, he considered, the public now tends to understand that this issue was designed to interfere with the work carried out by the KPK.

"It seems that the public is increasingly aware that efforts to disturb and attack the eradication of corruption are carried out by all means, including by making slander and narratives like that," he said.

He is reluctant to conclude that the radical-Taliban issue arises because of the corruption case that is currently being processed because this needs to be proven. However, Novel does not deny that there are patterns in throwing this issue, including using robotic accounts on social media such as Twitter.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the KPK, Alexander Marwata, firmly denied the entry of radicalism and the Taliban within the institution he led. Moreover, so far, only one militancy has been embedded in the minds of all KPK employees, namely militants carrying out corruption eradication.

"If the Taliban in the sense of militants eradicating corruption, maybe yes. If there are other Taliban in Afghanistan," Alex said in a press conference broadcast on the KPK RI YouTube account.

He emphasized that these two issues that have warmed up again are old things that had stirred up in 2019. However, all these issues have been clarified by the KPK.

"The issue of radicalism and the Taliban is an old issue and we make sure, we emphasize that there is no element of radicalism or the Taliban in the KPK," he said.

This issue actually emerged in 2019 and was originally presented by the Chairperson of the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) Presidium, Neta S. Pane, who was a speaker in a discussion related to anti-corruption institutions.

At that time he said there was a growing issue within the KPK regarding the division of the camp called the Indian police and the Taliban police.

"He said there are Indian police and there are Taliban police. This is dangerous. Who are the Taliban? Novel (KPK's senior investigator, Novel Baswedan). Whose Indian police? Non-Novel's camp. There needs to be a firm commissioner to organize and maintain the solidity of this institution," said Neta in this discussion.

After this issue rolled around, the then Chairman of the KPK, Agus Rahardjo, said that this issue was raised by an irresponsible party and challenged all parties to prove the issue.

According to KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah, the issue of taliban and radicalism arose when the KPK was investigating major cases such as the bribery of the COVID-19 social assistance to the issuance of export permits for lobster or fry.

Febri suspects that the issue of taliban and radicalism will be used to attack senior KPK investigator Novel Baswedan, "and may be linked to investigators who are working on major corruption cases. For example, the corruption case or Bansos COVID-19 corruption that is being handled by the KPK," he said as quoted by VOI in his Twitter account @febridiansyah.

My guess is that Novel @nazaqistsha et al will be attacked. Yes, using the issue of "Taliban" in the KPK. And perhaps linked to investigators who are handling major corruption cases. For example: a case of corruption or corruption of Covid-19 Social Assistance which is being handled by the KPK. See you later ...

- Febri Diansyah (@febridiansyah) January 23, 2021

Meanwhile, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana also assessed that this issue was deliberately enlivened and was a routine attack carried out when the KPK was investigating high-profile corruption cases. This is done in order to divert issues in the community.

"The group is trying to divert the main issue that the KPK is currently handling major cases and one of them is the social assistance scandal which allegedly involved many politicians," he said in a written statement.

However, Kurnia believes that society will not be affected and will focus on the big issue that exists, namely corruption. Because, apart from being obsolete, this issue can never be proven.

"The issue of taliban and radicalism is outdated and the public no longer believes it. Because, to this day, this conclusion has never been proven and is just a delusion," he concluded.