Many Persons Dragged In Corruption Cases, Selection Of Candidates For BPK Members Sued For Transparency

Illustration of corruption (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Commission XI of the DPR RI has named 75 candidates for the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) RI based on the results of an internal meeting held on July 8, 2024.

Dozens of candidates for BPK members will later be selected to 5 names, before finally being appointed in the plenary meeting of the DPR RI.

The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) demands that the DPR carry out the principles of transparency in the selection process.

"Fitra hopes that Commission XI of the DPR in selecting Candidates for BPK members will open the widest possible input from the community, this can be done by encouraging public trials and transparency at every stage," said researcher Fitra Gurnadi Ridwan in his statement, Wednesday, July 10.

Gurnadi emphasized that as a state institution tasked with examining the management and responsibility of state finances, candidates who will become new BPK members must be able to increase the dignity and integrity of the institution.

Given, many members of the BPK are now being dragged into legal cases.

"In recent years, cases of bribery, corruption and collusion of fictitious projects have repeatedly hit an institution based on Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto," he said.

The cases that ensnared members of the BPK included buying and selling Unqualified Opinions (WTP) for the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) which ensnared BPK personnel with a bribe value of Rp12 billion.

Then, the case of manipulation of the results of the 4G BTS project audit at the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) which dragged Members III of the Inactive BPK, Achsanul Qosasi, with a bribe value of up to Rp40 billion.

In addition, cases of buying and selling WTP predicates also spread to the regions, the case of the inactive Bogor Regent Ade Yasin in securing WTP in the 2021 Bogor Regency Government Financial Report (LKPD) by bribing BPK Representative West Java with a value of IDR 1.9 billion.

Furthermore, Gurnadi also requested that the selection committee (pansel) for prospective BPK members in the future not only be dominated by Commission XI of the DPR, but must also involve the community/CSO groups, academics, associations and BPK representatives themselves.

"In addition, prospective BPK members must be able to give up their political interests and have expertise that suits the needs of the institution," said Gurnadi.

"The replacement of BPK members is expected to be a momentum for institutional improvement because in fact, BPK has a role to play in ensuring that state financial management can achieve a just, prosperous and prosperous society," he continued.