[LAW] Chairman Of The KPK Employee Forum Yudi Purnomo | About How TWK Disrupts Handling Of Corruption Cases

As many as 51 of the 75 employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) did not pass the National Insight Test (TWK) assessment. They were dismissed because they were deemed unable to be fostered 'to Indonesia'. We spoke with the Chairperson of the KPK Employee Forum, Yudi Purnomo, to take a closer look at TWK. How do employees see this as an effort to weaken the eradication of corruption? In the past, the KPK jargon was "Dare to be Honest, Great". Now changed to "Dare To Be Honest, Fire."

Yudi Purnomo had just returned from the office of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) when we met him at the KPK Anti-Corruption Education Center Building, Jalan Rasuna Said, South Jakarta on Monday, May 31. Yudi's loud voice is in line with his movement against the TWK results. The conversation started around 16.00 WIB.

Yudi said that several reporting processes related to TWK were already underway. There are many irregularities that must be followed up, Yudi and colleagues feel. Several employees who did not qualify have been summoned by the KPK Supervisory Board for clarification. The same goes for the process at Komnas HAM. Yudi himself had just answered the call that afternoon.

During the examination by Komnas HAM, Yudi gave information regarding his position as the Chair of the KPK Employee Forum, including the criticism of the Employees' Committee to five KPK leaders, including Firli Bahuri. Yudi was also asked for information regarding his position as an independent investigator who now has to change his employment status to become a state civil apparatus (ASN).

"Then I also said that until now I have never received any kind of results. Why am I called ineligible, it doesn't exist and we never get it," said Yudi.

In addition to Komnas HAM, dozens of KPK employees also complained to a number of other institutions, such as the Women's National Commission (Komnas) and the Association of Indonesian Churches (PGI). According to Yudi, the employees are now preparing to file a lawsuit to the Constitutional Court (MK) and the Supreme Court (MA).

To Komnas Perempuan, employees reported allegations of harassment against women's dignity. The harassment was carried out through questions from the assessor team that touched the private sphere, such as, "Are you willing to become a second wife?" There are also other questions, for example, "Do you like watching porn?"

"There are several things that we think are degrading to the dignity of women. (This report) so that there will be improvements in the future."

Yudi Purnomo

Everything that Yudi found in the whole assessment process through the National Insight Test (TWK) he felt was so strange. In the interview session, for example. Yudi told how the assessors were picking up on his activities as the Chair of the KPK Employee Forum, as well as its relation to the rejection of the 2019 KPK Law revision.

Yudi replied that the refusal was not unfounded, but based on academic studies. In a more private dimension, Yudi was asked about his attitude in rejecting the candidate for leadership of the KPK under the Firli Bahuri regime. Yudi answered the questions candidly while affirming his compliance with the KPK Law. Yes, even though he didn't really agree.

"When it becomes a law, we obey it, like that. After all, it is a (denial) freedom of expression in this country. Then when we reject the capim, we say that we want the KPK to be led by a leader with integrity. My other activities are in the Employee Forum. So I go there more, yes," said Yudi.

Furthermore, Yudi told how he discovered TWK's irregularities from the start. The first is the matter of KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri who has been silent since the TWK discourse will be rolled out. Yudi also told how the employees asked about the implementation of the TWK, the KPK leaders did not even give a definite answer.

Yudi and colleagues also feel cheated. Many times they asked about TWK -- before it was held -- to the leaders, many times their questions were answered lightly. The leaders also on several occasions gave the wind that TWK is an easy matter that all KPK employees can definitely take.

"'Definitely can answer,'" said Yudi, demonstrating what the KPK leaders said

"'The important thing is that you sleep well,'" the KPK leaders answered on another occasion.

"'Then if you love the Republic of Indonesia, this love, you have lived in Indonesia for a long time. Yes, you can definitely answer,'" Yudi added.

Time is running. KPK employees are engrossed in busyness and trivial narratives about TWK. There are no negative thoughts about the leaders and TWK. Moreover, they hold that based on the KPK Law Number 19 of 2019 - which is the basis for the transfer of employment status - there is no mention of TWK as a condition for the transfer of employment status.

"Then it was strengthened by the PP, there was no test there. Even what is interesting is that there is a decision by the Constitutional Court that we must not be harmed during the transition of status. This means in terms of career, material and immaterial."

"For us, why do we work at the KPK, it's not just a paycheck. This is service. So if the language is used today, eradicating corruption is our ninja way."

Yudi Purnomo

Yudi and colleagues really made a mistake. TWK is more than a regular test. TWK was infiltrated with political intentions to get rid of a number of employees who were handling corruption cases. According to the results of a meeting involving representatives of a number of institutions and ministries under the administration of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), they were removed.

Of the 75 employees who did not pass the TWK, 51 were dismissed on the grounds of radicalism, which had no cure. Meanwhile, the remaining 24 were given the opportunity to participate in coaching. KPK leaders claimed to have defended the employees. However, according to Yudi, the posture that the leaders claim is fake.

There are concrete steps that Firli Cs can take if they really want to save the KPK, including the employees who are currently holding important cases. For example, by changing the Commission Regulation (Perkom) that regulates TWK. In this way, the KPK leadership can reappoint dozens of employees who were eliminated by TWK.

After all, what happened today, with the dismissal of 51 employees, it does not show support for employees. There is time, actually. At least until November 1, they can still work to investigate corruption cases that are being handled. And there's a lot more to do until November 1st.

"I want it to be education again. Education and training. But when, for example, it is immediately dismissed during a press conference, it means that there is no longer any intention to defend us, right. Their struggle (the leadership of the KPK) is not a struggle to argue with BKN and so on. Change the rules This is because the commission's rules are KPK internal rules. It's enough for the five KPK leaders to consult, if there is an intention."

Yudi Purnomo

Regarding the stamp of radicalism on the faces of 51 KPK employees, this is related to the issue of the existence of a radical group among KPK employees, commonly called the "Taliban". Yudi clarified this. Yudi half-jokingly faced our questions. This issue was so absurd, he thought.

If Islamic radicalism is the root cause of the dismissal of 51 employees, why are there Christians, Buddhists and Hindus among them? For Yudi, this issue is clearly just the fabrication of a certain group, which in its operation uses buzzers to spread narratives about the disruption of Islamic radicalism in the KPK.

"So these issues are only issued by buzzers, right. Even yesterday I saw PGI, the Indonesian Church Association, the chairman of which was supportive because they understood that this was an attempt to weaken the KPK, but they were attacked by the same buzzer."

"For tolerance, I don't think this is a new thing at the KPK. Even in us, for example, I am in the Investigation Task Force, there are various religions. But we are united in fighting corruption."

Yudi Purnomo

The issue of tolerance is indeed a part of TWK. Yudi told some questions that Yudi thought he could answer easily. He personally wondered why he was considered not to have passed the TWK. Yudi is the Chairman of the KPK Employee Forum which oversees people from many groups.

According to Yudi, this position is impossible for him to live without the ability to tolerate. There is one question in TWK that Yudi remembers very well. That is when the assessor asks whether when he donates blood he allows his blood to be used for people of other religions. "Yes I said okay ... I think when I donate blood, I don't care for whom. But for humanity," said Yudi

For Yudi, the reason for the failure of 75 KPK employees was clear: the thwarting of efforts to eradicate corruption. There are reasons that Yudi believes. One of them is a combination in the list of employees who fail to pass TWK.

Although the 51 names who were dismissed are not yet known. At least the following names will give you an idea. Of the 75 KPK employees who did not pass the TWK, 13 of them were investigators. Seven people are retired Police. While the remaining six are independent. What cases do they handle?

First, Novel Baswedan. He is currently handling the Tanjungbalai bribery case that ensnared KPK investigators from the National Police, Stefanus Robin Pattuju and Mayor M. Syahrial. In addition, Novel is also still handling the lobster seed bribery case involving former Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo.

Yudi worked with Novel in these two cases. Besides Yudi and Novel, there are also Ambarita Damanik and Rizka Anungnata, other investigators who did not pass the TWK. Rizka was previously also known to have investigated the bribery case of former KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan involving a PDIP cadre and today's most wanted fugitive, Harun Masiku.

In the Wahyu Setiawan bribery case, Rizka worked with Ronald Paul Signal. The name of another investigator who was arrested by TWK was Budi Agung Nugroho. He has a record of handling a reclamation bribery case involving former President Director Agung Podomoro Land Ariesman Widjaja and a member of the DKI DPRD from the Gerindra Party, Mohamad Sanusi.

Working with Budi Agung in that case was Hasan. Budi Agung has also handled other major cases, such as a fat account involving the name of the Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan, who was still serving in the National Police at that time.

In the case that was eventually canceled by the South Jakarta District Court, Budi Agung worked with a number of other investigators who were on the 75th list: Budi Sukmo and Afief Julian Miftah. Budi Sukmo is also listed in the investigation of an important case, namely the corruption of AW 101 which is the first corruption case of the TNI handled by the KPK.

From another cluster of cases, namely the case of corruption in the COVID-19 social assistance fund (Bansos), which involved the former Minister of Social Affairs, Juliari Batubara. The names of the investigators who held the TWK elimination cases were Andre Dedy Nainggolan and Praswad Nugraha.

The name of another investigator on this list of 75 is Marc Falentino who handled corruption in South Sulawesi infrastructure funds with the suspect being Governor Nurdin Abdullah. Falentino also handled the corruption of the e-KTP by Setya Novanto and Wisma Athletes who dragged Annas Urbaningrum. Another, Herbert Nababan who took part in the Tanjungbalai investigation.

With all the facts above, Yudi asked all parties to rethink the narrative which states that no corruption handling process has been disrupted by this dismissal. As an illustration, one corruption requires dozens of people to handle it.

"What we are fighting are people who have power, have networks, have money. It's the same as now, isn't it. There is great power, which is called getting rid of us and for us, of course, the first laughs are the corruptors with incidents like this."

Yudi Purnomo

"The most concrete examples are the people I check, of course they will be overjoyed. 'Wow, it was Yudi Purnomo who used to check on me, who ransacked my house, who used to arrest my family.' They're the first ones to laugh, right?"

Yudi Purnomo

Even so, Yudi still has optimism. He has served 14 years at the KPK. And efforts to thwart efforts to eradicate corruption are not the first time this has happened. And Yudi and other employees agreed to fight until the end. The struggle they call for the truth.

"For 14 years I have experienced it. From the time of the crocodile lizard, until now. The point is now we must be firm with the beliefs we have," Yudi.

"We have never made a sound, we work in silence. For example, doing OTT. Our faces are unknown. But now, we have to save the fate of eradicating corruption. Previously, we saved the fate of people's money that was taken by the corrupt. It has been proven that we are brave for corruptors, let alone this."

Yudi Purnomo