MAKI: Extortion At The KPK Detention Center Should Be Included In The Corruption Field

JAKARTA - Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman stated that extortion at the KPK detention center should have entered the realm of corruption and the perpetrators were not only punished for apologizing.

"The current extortion is the same as throwing garbage, only being asked to apologize," said Boyamin as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, February 19.

According to him, the decision of the Supervisory Board (Dewas KPK) to the perpetrators of extortion at the KPK Detention Center (Rutan) who only were sanctioned apologized was not appropriate. This shows a setback.

He considered that the perpetrators should have been charged in accordance with Articles 11 and 12 of the Anti-Corruption Law because it had entered the realm.

"Even though extortion is part of corruption, wherever if the KPK, the Prosecutor's Office and the Police, extortion is part of corruption," he said.

Bonyamin said that when the perpetrators of extortion were sanctioned, they only apologized, so there was no difference between the KPK employees who threw garbage and reported it by their neighbors, then were sanctioned to apologize.

"But when this extortion is only asked to apologize, it is only a laughing stock. A simple logic when a KPK employee throws garbage in front of his neighbor, it is reported and punished to apologize," he said.

According to Boyamin, when the sanctions given to extortionists only apologize, it is better not to be sanctioned all of them, return the matter to the KPK Inspectorate.

Because, said Boyamin, when the KPK Council has imposed sanctions, the Inspectorate cannot impose a sentence because it can be sued in the Administrative Court.

"It's better not to be sanctioned, immediately handed over to the KPK Inspectorate, to start from scratch, because later it can be punished the most severely, namely by disrespectful dismissal," he said.

The KPK Council stated that the 12 employees of the anti-corruption agency were guilty of receiving a sum of money in a case of illegal levies (extortion) at the KPK detention center.

"Declaring that the examinees have been legally and convincingly proven to have abused their position or authority, including abusing their influence as KPK personnel both in the pre-implementation of their duties and personal interests and/or groups," said Chairman of the KPK Council Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean Thursday (15/2).

Tumpak explained that the 12 KPK employees had violated Article 4 paragraph 2 letter b of the Council Regulation Number 3 of 2021 concerning Enforcement of the KPK Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct.

The Council also imposed a sentence in the form of requiring the examinees to make an open apology.

"Imposing severe sanctions to the examinees in the form of direct open apologies," he said.