Together The KPK Guard Under New Captain Setyo Budiyanto

JAKARTA The Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society or MAKI believes that the KPK has a future after the election of Setyo Budiyanto as the new captain of the anti-corruption agency.

The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) through Commission III in charge of law finally established the leadership of the KPK for the period 2024-2029. Not only that, the DPR also appointed the supervisory board or the council of the institution.

It was Setyo Budiyanto who was elected as Chairman of the KPK, followed by the deputy chairman, namely Fitroh Rochcahyanto, Johanis Tanak, Agus Joko Pramono, and Ibnu Basuki Widodo. Meanwhile, the elected KPK adults were Chisca Mirawati, Wisnu Baroto, Sumpeno, Gusrizal, and Benny Jozua Mamoto.

They were all selected after going through a series of fit and proper tests that took place since Monday (18/11/2024). The chairman of the Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman said that the election of Setya Budiyanto was to give hope that the KPK would return to network.

The public now has high hopes for Setyo Budiyanto, to bring the KPK back to being a respected institution, after the image slowly faded in the past few years. The picture that the KPK is an institution that eradicates corruption is getting fainter especially after the previous chairman, Firli Bahuri, was caught in a number of cases, including allegations of gratification from a suspected corruption former Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Setyo Budiyanto, a 57-year-old man, is actually not a new person in an anti-corruption agency. He served as Director of KPK Investigation for more than a year in 2020. Prior to that, he also served as Coordinator of Region III of the KPK as well as Acting Director of the KPK.

In addition, Setyo has also served as Kapolda, including the North Sulawesi Police Chief and the East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief.

The name Setyo Budiyono, said Bonyamin, so far has a good track record and is far from controversial, both at the Kapolda, at the KPK, as well as previous positions.

"Setyo is typical of people who don't explode and don't over-encourse. On the other hand (this trait) is good," Boyamin said when contacted by VOI.

"So he is not ambitious, one of the good sides in my opinion. Because the KPK leadership, especially the KPK chairman, has had ambitious sides and that has made the person concerned fall," he added.

On the other hand, Alvin Nicola from Transparency International Indonesia is actually skeptical of the selection process for the KPK leadership chosen by the DPR. According to Alvin, some of the candidates for KPK leadership are not obedient in reporting assets through the State Official Wealth Report or LHKPN.

Even though some of their assets, according to Alvin, have increased dramatically in recent years. On that basis, he said that the selection process for the KPK leadership seemed just a formality.

"The selection of interviews conducted by the Pansel as well as the benefits and proper tests at Commission III of the DPR did not dig deeper into related candidates ranging from being disobedient in reporting assets, assets experiencing unnatural fluctuations, integrity and potential conflicts of interest, to concrete steps in efforts to fix the KPK institutions after the 2019 revision of the KPK Law," he said.

Apart from the pros and cons of the election of Setyo Budiyanto and other leaders, the public certainly hopes that the KPK will again show its defenses as a respected institution.

"There is still hope." That was Boyamin's answer when asked how to go in front of the KPK after Setyo Budiyono was appointed as chairman. He hopes that the KPK together with the government will synergize in making good governance so that there is no corruption from upstream to downstream.

Setyo's promise to continue implementing hand arrest operations (OTT) if he is elected to MAKI is a plus. This statement refers to the expression of the candidate for the leadership of KPKpetahana Johanis Tanakyang in the fit and proper test at the DPR stating that the OTT for perpetrators of corruption is removed because it is not in line with the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP).

Johanis Tanak considers the OTT concept inappropriate, both based on terminology and the rules of the Criminal Procedure Code.

In terminology, the definition of OTT is inappropriate. He referred to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) which said the operation was a series of activities that had been prepared as a doctor had done. Meanwhile, according to the Criminal Procedure Code, being caught red-handed means arrests made instantly and without planning.

"Well, if there is an operating plan that is planned, one is said to have been arrested, this is an overlap. That is not appropriate. Yes, in my opinion, OTT is not appropriate," he said.

Hiruk pikuk will clearly not stop after the Chairman of the KPK and his elected leadership. The KPK has a myriad of jobs to complete, especially eradicating corruption cases.

"We can expect a lot, hopefully. We will oversee it together with the KPK," said Boyamin.

"But MAKI still sues for pre-trial if there is a stalled case, selective slashing case. At least it is able to prevent corruption," he concluded.