KPK Era Firli Bahuri Filled With Controversy

JAKARTA The name of the Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri is in the spotlight. He is suspected of being involved in extortion against former Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) and the case is still rolling at Polda Metro Jaya.

Firli is scheduled to come to Polda Metro Jaya on Friday (20/10/2023) to undergo an investigation into the alleged extortion case against SYL. But he was absent from the call.

Through the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Nurul Gufron, the anti-rasuah agency said Firli could not attend the Polda Metro Jaya because at that time and date Firli's activities had been scheduled.

"So the Chairman of the KPK has not been able to attend the summons in question. The leadership has confirmed by sending a letter asking for a reschedule time with a copy of the National Police Chief and the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs," said KPK Deputy Chair Nurul Ghufron in a written statement, Friday, October 20, 2023.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said Firli Bahuri did not set a good example as chairman of the KPK by absent from the summons of the Polda Metro Jaya.

According to Kurnia, Firli is threatened with forced pick-up if he does not heed the summons of the Regional Police again.

"Based on the procedural law and the Criminal Code (KUHP), as a witness there is an inherent legal obligation against the person concerned. If it is denied, there will be criminal consequences. If the summons is not heeded, there is a forced effort that is justified, namely the forced pick-up mechanism," Kurnia told VOI.

"As the chairman of the KPK, especially since he is a retired National Police officer, he should understand that his presence and information are important to open the construction of alleged criminal acts of extortion with litigants," Kurnia added.

Contacted separately, political observer and Executive Director of the Voxpol Center Research and Consulting Pangi Syarwi Chaniago welcomed the investigation conducted by Polda Metro Jaya against Firli.

According to Pangi, this is a positive signal, because there is actually no dominant legal institution in Indonesia. The examination of Firli could be a place for mutual correction between institutions.

The current KPK seems to have faced resistance from the Regional Police. But actually it's good to correct each other, control each other, so that no institution feels really dominant," Pangi explained.

"The KPK in the past was like God, as if no one could correct it. Now it's actually good because no one is dominant," he concluded.

Firli Bahuri was elected as Chairman of the KPK for the 2019-2023 period by Commission III of the DPR on September 13, 2019. However, on his way as chairman of the anti-corruption commission, Firli's name was quite often sparked controversy. The man who was born on November 8, 1963, is known to have met several times with people who were stumbled upon by corruption whose cases were handled by the KPK.

In November 2022, for example, Firli met with corruption suspect Lukas Enembe, who was then a suspect in bribery and gratification. Lukas Enembe was also charged with alleged money laundering (TPPU).

Thus, Firli is strongly suspected of violating Article 36 of the KPK Law, which explicitly prohibits KPK leaders from dealing with corruption suspects handled by the KPK.

Not only that, Firli is also considered to show a lifestyle of hedonism. On September 24, 2020, he was found guilty of violating the code of ethics and code of conduct for using helicopters for personal gain.

At that time, Firli used a helicopter on the way from Palembang-Baturaja, Baturaja-Palembang and Palembang-Jakarta. The trip cost Rp28 million.

Even though he was found guilty of violating the code of ethics related to a luxurious lifestyle, Firli was only sanctioned by a written warning.

According to Kurnia, the series of controversies made by Firli was not comparable to his performance during his tenure as Chairman of the KPK. Kurnia assessed that the corruption cases handled by the KPK were not immediately in the previous leadership era.

The KPK's achievement in the 2019-2023 period was zero, because they produced more controversy than achievements. For OTT, the numbers have dropped, not to mention the internal controversy of the KPK itself, such as the dismissal of KPK employees for failing the national insight test," Kurnia explained.

"It's not wrong if the public criticizes the KPK, assessing that the KPK under Firli is the worst leadership in the history of the institution's establishment," added Kurnia.

Before being officially appointed as Chairman of the KPK in 2019, Firli had also committed a "sin" in the form of a violation of the code of ethics. This was done by Firli when he was still Deputy for Enforcement of the KPK.

In 2019 Firli held a meeting with the Governor of NTB Muhammad Zainul Majdi or Tuan Guru Bajang twice. At that time, the KPK was investigating allegations of corruption related to local government ownership in PT Newmont in 2009-2016.

To overcome this controversy, there is actually an institution of the KPK Supervisory Board. But unfortunately, this Supervisory Board failed to carry out its functions, Kurnia explained, about Firli, who is still strong in serving as Chairman of the KPK even though he was involved in a number of controversies.

For this reason, he hopes that the police can dismantle the alleged extortion by Firli against SYL. This allegation emerged after circulating a photo of Firli and SYL at a Badminton Gymnasium.

However, Firli denied that the meeting with SYL in the badminton field took place after the KPK began its investigation. Firli emphasized that his meeting with SYL took place on March 2, 2022, while the KPK began its investigation at the Ministry of Agriculture on January 16, 2023.

Firli's controversy has piled up. We hope that the police can uncover allegations of extortion, Kurnia ends.