Nawawi Pomolango: Some Deliberately Blow Up KPK Issues Joined By The Ombudsman

Temporary Chairperson of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nawawi Pomolango (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The interim chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nawawi Pomolango said that the issue of his institution being merged with the Indonesian Ombudsman was an empty message. He accused an irresponsible party of spreading the false news.

"It seems that there are parties who deliberately raise the issue in the midst of a situation that has a lot of criticism of this institution," Nawawi told reporters when contacted, Friday, April 5.

Nawawi also denied ever being summoned by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) for opinion regarding the merger of the KPK and the Ombudsman. "I make sure it's a lie," he said.

"I have never met the president for such matters," continued Nawawi.

Previously reported, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana agreed that his party heard the news that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) would be merged with the Ombudsman. The meeting was even said to have been held by Bappenas.

This was conveyed by Kurnia when attending a public discussion entitled Corruption Eradication: Reflection and Hope' held by the KPK. Initially, KPK Deputy Chair Alexander Marwata had time to talk about the possibility of the anti-corruption commission joining the Indonesian Ombudsman to answer questions from netizens on the KPK RI YouTube account.

"(Is there really a plan for the KPK to be merged with the Indonesian Ombudsman, ed) so far the leadership has not received that information. But is there a possibility? Yes. We learn from South Korea," Alexander said in a discussion at the KPK's Red and White Building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, April 2.

Hearing this statement, Kurnia said ICW had heard the discourse. However, the information was ignored because it was not clear where it came from.

"So at first many said, 'ICW friends have heard not that there is a plan for the KPK to take action to be removed as a precaution'. At first we didn't heed it but gradually the information became more detailed," said Kurnia when she got the opportunity to speak.

This anti-corruption activist then said that one of the information received by his party was that there was a meeting to discuss the merger. "This has been discussed at Bappenas, the plan is to make the KPK, a corruption prevention agency, merge into the Ombudsman," he said.