Alexander Marwata Highlighted By ICW Due To One Alma Mater With Rafael Alun, KPK Makes Sure To Stay Professional

Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri. (Tsa Tisa-VOI)

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has ensured that it remains professional in investigating the jumbo assets of former officials of the Directorate General of Taxes at the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) Rafael Alun Trisambodo. They have a mechanism in investigating allegations of corruption committed by state officials.

This was conveyed by the Head of the KPK News Section Ali Fikri in response to the statement of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) which stated that the investigation into Rafael Alun's assets was prone to conflicts of interest. The reason is that the Deputy Chairs of the KPK Alexander Marwata and Rafael both graduated from the State Accounting College (STAN).

"We ensure that the settlement of each case at the KPK is carried out professionally in an institutional system with a strict and measurable mechanism," Ali told reporters in a written statement, Thursday, March 16.

Ali said a similar incident was not new to the KPK. However, this condition cannot be avoided because the leadership and employees of the anti-corruption commission are social creatures who have other lives.

"That related to one alumni, one batch, for example, there is a kinship relationship between KPK personnel and those who are being investigated, it often happens. Because we are all social creatures," he said.

Moreover, the leadership already understands what to do when faced with a situation that has the potential to experience a conflict of interest. Ali said, usually they say they will not take part in the decision.

"As an affirmation, decision making at the KPK is never only based on the opinion of one person," said Ali.

"When making decisions, if there is a potential conflict of interest, each member of the KPK understands and states that there is a relationship with the parties so that they do not participate in the vote of decision making," he continued.

As previously reported, ICW said Alexander graduated from STAN education in the same year as Rafael, namely in 1986. Thus, the possibility of a conflict of interest is wide open.

Meanwhile, Alexander said he had conveyed to other leaders that he knew Rafael. This declaration was made during a leadership meeting to discuss the investigation of his campus friend.

For information, Rafael Alun's assets continued to be investigated after the case of abuse by his son, Mario Dandy Satrio, was in the spotlight. Most recently, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has blocked his safe deposit in a bank.

The amount of money in this storage reaches tens of billions of rupiah in foreign currency denominations. PPATK suspects that this money came from accepting bribes.

From these findings, the KPK confirmed that it would follow up. Moreover, the anti-corruption commission joined when PPATK blocked Rafael's safe deposit box.