Involve Ministries to Other Institutions, KPK Urged to Follow up Evidence to Uncover Customs Cases

JAKARTA - The Executive Director of the Center for Budget Analysis (CBA) Uchok Sky Khadafi urged that the handling of the bribery case in the import environment at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise be thoroughly dismantled. This matter must not stop if there is evidence to ensnare other parties because it is suspected of involving other ministries and institutions.

"If the import system does involve many ministries, many institutions, many permits, and many administrative channels, then the demolition must also follow where the evidence leads. Not following who is the most talked about," Uchok told reporters quoted on Monday, June 29.

Uchok explained that the measure of the success of law enforcement does not lie in the severity of statements in press conferences. Rather, when law enforcement officers prove all allegations before the panel of judges.

"I am a person of budget. I have been criticizing state money for decades. So if there is a big case, I always see one simple measure: what is brought to court, not what is shouted into the camera. In a legal state, press conferences are not a room for proof. What determines is not the microphone, but the panel of judges," he said.

"If there is indeed strong evidence against anyone, please bring them to court. Don't be picky. But if there is information that has been circulating since the beginning but has not yet become part of the open proof at the trial, the public also has the right to ask," continued Uchok.

Uchok said he respected the KPK's authority in determining the investigation strategy. However, the KPK must also maintain consistency in communicating with the public.

"If today says it will investigate, the public has the right to know how far the investigation has progressed. If there are names mentioned in the trial, let the legal mechanism test it. If there is not enough evidence, say there is not enough evidence. If there is enough evidence, the process. What should not happen is that the public is allowed to live too long in the interpretation room," he said.

Ucok assessed that the biggest enemy of eradicating corruption was not only corruptors but also the loss of public confidence in the law enforcement process.

So, he invited all parties to return to the principles of criminal procedure law, namely proof based on evidence, trial facts, and the judge's decision.

"If you really want to dismantle the import mafia, dismantle everything based on evidence. If only a part of it is ready to be proven, tell the public what it is. Don't let the public end up asking themselves, are they dismantling the entire building or just opening the front door," said Uchok.

"True courage does not lie in the harshness of the statement. True courage is consistent in bringing every allegation that has sufficient evidence until obtaining a fair and accountable court decision," he concluded.