Not Resigning But Asking To Stop As Chairman Of The KPK Is The Reason The Palace Rejects Firli's Request

Presidential Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana (ANTARA)

Presidential Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana said Firli Bahuri's letter submitted to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) through the Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) was not followed up. The reason is that he asked to stop as Chairman of the KPK instead of resigning. "The dismissal of Mr. Firli Bahuri as the KPK leader cannot be further processed because in the letter, Mr. Firli Bahuri did not mention resigning but stated that he had resigned," Ari said in a written statement, Friday, December 22. Ari explained that the request for a stop as proposed by Firli was not known in Article 32 of the KPK Law Number 19 of 2019. The following reads: “ KPK leadership stops or is dismissed due to death, ends his term of office, commits a disgraceful act, becomes a defendant for committing a crime, is permanently unable or continuously for more than three months, resigns, and is subject to sanctions under this law.” Similarly, the Chairperson of the KPK also said that his colleague's request was not followed up with the issuance of the Presidential Decree. He has received a copy letter from the State Secretariat (Setneg) today, Friday, December 22. “The application in question (Firli Bahuri, ed) is a statement to stop and is not willing to be extended again. Meanwhile, from the State Secretariat, it was stated that the statement had stopped and did not want to be extended, including the terms of dismissal as stipulated in the law,” Nawawi told reporters at the KPK's Red and White House, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Friday, December 22. Previously, Firli declared his resignation from his position as inactive KPK Chair on Thursday, December 21. He admitted that he had communicated with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) regarding his decision. "I ended my duties as Chairman of the KPK and I declared my resignation and I also stated that I did not want to extend my term of office," Firli told reporters at the ACLC building, Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, Thursday, December 21. Firli said he had written to the Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Pratikno to convey to President Jokowi. “ I would like to thank the President, Mr. Joko Widodo and Mr. Vice President Mr. Ma'ruf Amin and all the nation's children wherever they are who have accompanied me including media colleagues, ” he said. For information, this resignation was conveyed by Firli in the midst of the trial for alleged ethical violations being held by the KPK Supervisory Board. This kind of method has also been taken by former Deputy Chairperson of the KPK, Lili Pintauli Siregar, in June 2022. Lili decided to resign from her position when the KPK Council investigated alleged ethical violations because she was suspected of receiving gratuities in the form of a Mandalika MotoGP ticket and accommodation. The gift came from PT Pertamina (Persero).

After Lili resigned and was approved by President Jokowi, the KPK Council decided not to continue the ethics trial. The reason is that he is no longer a member of the anti-corruption commission. Just like Firli, Lili was also never present at that time to fulfill the summons of the KPK Council for various reasons. Including doing assignments outside the city.