DPR Members Curious Why KPK Starts To Show Corruption Suspects At A Press Conference
JAKARTA - Member of Commission III DPR RI from the United Development Party (PPP) faction Arsul Sani highlighted the style of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) when announcing suspects by bringing them to a press conference.
According to him, the presence of the suspect at the announcement of his legal status could be considered to violate the presumption of innocence.
"For me there is a note because it raises questions. Isn't that, in quotation marks, it violates the principle of presumption of innocence," said Arsul during a joint hearing with the KPK which was broadcast on the DPR RI YouTube account, Wednesday, April 29.
The deputy chairman of the MPR RI said that the judicial system in Indonesia has been based on the presumption of innocence. So Arsul asked the KPK leadership to think again about presenting the suspects in the press conference.
Arsul said that he had criticized the Police for presenting the suspect at a press conference. He conveyed this criticism at a working meeting with the National Police and discussed the case of the judge's wife who allegedly killed her husband.
According to him, at that time the police were so sure that the wife was the killer of her husband that it violated the presumption of innocence which every law enforcer should follow.
"That somewhat violates the principle of presumption of innocence. Especially at that time, his public relations firm was sure that he was the murderer. This must be corrected," said Arsul.
"Firmness in taking action against corruption cases does not have to violate universal legal principles or principles that we have acknowledged together," he added.
Responding to Arsul's criticism, KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri said that what his institution did by presenting the suspect in a press conference was actually not a strange thing. It's just that, because it was the first time it was implemented, it seemed unusual.
According to him, the suspects were actually raised as a step to provide equality and equal rights before the law or equality before the law. "So since the beginning it has been introduced, equality has been presented before the law," said Firli.
Firli also denied that his party violated the presumption of innocence. Because, when presented, the two suspects in the development of a procurement corruption case in Muara Enim Regency were facing their backs to the audience and the camera so that their faces could not be seen.
"What is certain is that we are not showing people, sir. Because in principle, in yesterday's press release they were backsliding. Not showing," he said.
Disclosure of the corruption case of two members of the Muara Enim DPRD at the KPK (Capture the KPK YouTube channel screen)
In addition, he also said that the appearance of the suspects could have a deterrent effect on the community so that they do not get caught in a corruption case. "The lesson is that the suspect creates a deterrent effect," said the former South Sumatra Police Chief.
Previously reported, the KPK named two new suspects in the development of a bribery case related to the PUPR Agency project in Muara Enim Regency. The two new suspects are the Chairman of the Muara Regency DPRD Enim Aries HB and the Acting PUPR Office of Muara Enim Regency Ramlan Suryadi.
However, there was something different when determining the suspect on Monday, 27 April. If usually the faces of the suspects will be known after carrying out the investigation, now, the KPK is displaying them in the press conference to determine the status of the suspects.
This was then responded to by the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK for the 2015-2019 period Laode M Syarif. According to him, during his tenure the KPK never once presented a suspect when their legal status was published.
"For four periods it has never happened. What I know is that the Police have often done such things," said Syarif when asked for his response, Tuesday, April 28.
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana also responded to the anomaly shown by the anti-graft agency. He said, it was not a habit for the KPK to show suspects when announcing their legal status.
"Press conferences by showing suspects to the wider community are not a custom in the KPK," said Kurnia in his written statement.