'Luxury' Working Meeting In Jogja, Abraham Samad: KPK Should Be A Role Model For Simplicity

JAKARTA - Former Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Abraham Samad quipped Firli Bahuri et al who were holding a 'luxury' work meeting at a five-star hotel in Yogyakarta. According to him, the KPK has now lost its simplicity which should be an example for other state institutions.

"He should be a role model. Now, the KPK is also working at a five-star hotel, it means that the function of the KPK in maintaining a culture of integrity will be lost," Abraham said in his statement to reporters quoted on Friday, October 29.

"He should be a role model, for example. What model? It must be simple, not wasteful," he added.

Abraham also alluded to the loss of a culture of integrity by lavishly holding meetings in luxury hotels. Not only that, the KPK also seemed insensitive because it held a luxury meeting in the midst of difficult economic conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Everyone lives in empathy and concern in a pandemic atmosphere. The KPK should have a concern for it like people who have a hard time eating, not just having fun," he stressed.

After all, this kind of meeting is considered a waste and has never been held. Abraham said that when he was the Chairman of the KPK, work meetings were never held outside the city. In fact, usually only done in the office so that their work is not disturbed.

Even so, he did not deny that there was a big KPK event being carried out outside the city, namely during the Commemoration of World Anti-Corruption Day (HAKORDIA).

"In my time of working meetings, maybe in my time we never left Jakarta. In fact, most of them came from the office so they could work while they were working. Indeed, we have been in areas like Jogja, Bandung, but it was an anti-corruption day that is usually carried out by the KPK," said Abraham.

"Hakordia used to move according to the theme. But there was never a working meeting because of our previous view that holding a working meeting outside the region was a waste and not in accordance with the culture of the KPK, a culture of integrity because of waste and the impression of wasting," he added.

For information, the Organization and Governance Work Meeting (Ortaka) has been held since Thursday, 27 October. On that day, there were a number of events including listening to the presentation of material entitled Strategic Learning: Organizational Transformation towards a Purpose-Driven Organization delivered by Ignasius Jonan.

Next, at night, it was continued with an indoor team building event, namely fun games and team work, which was attended by 55 participants who were divided into five groups.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, October 28, the event continued with the presentation of the KPK performance review meeting. Meanwhile, on Friday, October 29, the participants will head to the Ngemplak Jogja Police Headquarters to take a leisurely bicycle to the Klothok Coffee Shop in the Kaliurang area.

After the relaxing bike is done, the participants will return to the hotel to listen to the directions and the raker's decision points.

These various activities were then heavily criticized because they were deemed unnecessary and a waste of money in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Secretary General of the KPK Cahya H Harefa said that the meeting in Yogyakarta had been scheduled for a long time but was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, this meeting was also carefully planned including regarding the use of the budget during the activity.

"This intensive meeting which was held in Yogyakarta had been scheduled in advance, both from the aspect of budget planning and implementation design, but it had to be postponed due to the pandemic conditions and can only be held at this time," said Cahya to reporters, Wednesday, October 27.

He also emphasized that this working meeting needed to be carried out as part of efforts to harmonize regulations and improve organizational structures, in order to support the duties and functions of the KPK in accordance with the KPK Law Number 19 of 2019.