ICW-Kontras Reports Alleged Extortion of 43 Police Officers to the KPK 

JAKARTA - Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) together with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) reported alleged extortion by 43 members of the National Police to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) today.

Head of the ICW Legal and Investigation Division, Wana Alamsyah, said the alleged extortion was carried out between 2022 and 2024. The KPK is expected to take action against the parties reported.

"We officially reported the alleged criminal act of extortion committed by 43 police officers from 2022 to 2024 in four different cases," Wana told reporters at the KPK's Red and White building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, December 23.

Wana then detailed the four cases, including those related to murder, the holding of the Djakarta Warehouse Project concert, and extortion related to the sale and purchase of watches. According to him, the KPK should be able to investigate thoroughly because the National Police has imposed ethical sanctions on its members.

"Because, for us, when there is no criminal effort given to law enforcement, especially the police, police members, this will be a bad precedent for law enforcement in the future," he said.

In addition, the KPK also has the authority in accordance with Article 11 Paragraph 1A of the KPK Law. In the policy it is stated that the KPK has the authority to follow up on alleged corruption involving law enforcement officials.

"And we are worried that this will normalize such cases... so that in the end it will only be considered a mere violation of ethics," said the anti-corruption activist.

Meanwhile, Dimas Bagus Arya Saputra as Coordinator of the Kontras Workers Agency said that this extortion should be a serious concern. "This is one of the efforts that we encourage so that the police can make improvements and we also encourage the KPK as an independent institution to investigate," he said on the same occasion.

"So that this can become one of the good precedents in the context of enforcing behaviors or contexts of anti-corruption, anti-nepotism, and also anti-collusion and anti-extortion," concluded Dimas.