Alexander Responds To The KPK News That The Ombudsman Will Join: We Can't Get Information But There Is A Possibility

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Alexander Marwata admitted that he had not received any news that his agency would be merged with the Ombudsman. However, this possibility is open because South Korea has done the same thing.

Hal ini disampaikan Alexander saat menjawab pertanyaan warganet yang disampaikan melalui YouTube KPK RI saat diskusi publik bertajuk Pemberantasan Korupsi: Reflection dan Harapan. Isu bergabungnya dua lembaga ini memang sempat menemuan di kalangan terbatas.

"(Is there really a plan for the KPK to be merged with the Indonesian Ombudsman, ed) so far the leadership has not received that information. But is there a possibility? Yes. We learn from South Korea," Alexander said in a discussion held at the KPK's Merah Putih building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, April 2.

Alexander said that the corruption eradication agency in South Korea had been merged with other institutions because it was considered too independent and in power.

"So you can't, it's considered disturbing, yes, until it's combined with the Ombudsman in South Korea," he said.

The leader with a judge's background said that his institution certainly could not do anything if it ended up having the same fate as the corruption eradication agency in South Korea. However, Alexander hopes that the community and anti-corruption activist groups can speak up and state that the KPK is still needed in the country.

"We can't do anything when, for example, it has become a policy of the government's decision and is based on the law," he said.

Meanwhile, Kurnia Ramadhana, an Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher, also admitted that she heard the information about the joining of the KPK with the Indonesian Ombudsman. Although he didn't care at first, he recently highlighted that the information was getting clearer.

"The information we got has been discussed in Bappenas," Kurnia said at the same discussion.

Kurnia asked the government to clarify this news, especially Bappenas. This is because the KPK will not be able to take action and only focus on prevention if it is combined with the Indonesian Ombudsman.

"It is important for us to monitor it together because we hear these rumors more and more often. It should be clarified by the government immediately, whether it is true or not if Pak Alex does not want to talk," he said.

"Don't let the weakening of the eradication of corruption in the last nine years and will soon step down Mr. Jokowi, instead, give a bad legacy about eradicating corruption by turning kpk into a preventive agency," concluded this anti-corruption activist.