How Is The Fate Of Novel Baswedan And Partners After Failing Insight Test?

KPK Novel Baswedan Investigator (Rizky Adytia Pramana/VOI)

JAKARTA - Assessment of the National Insight Test (TWK) as a condition of transfer of the status of employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) polished. Moreover, from the test, there were 75 ineligible employees (TMS) and were deactivated from their positions, including senior investigator Novel Baswedan.

Related to the polemic that developed in the community, KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri said the determination of the fate of dozens of employees will be done in the next week. He said that it will conduct discussions with various relevant agencies.

"Certainly on Tuesday, May 25, we will have intensive discussions for the completion of 75 KPK employees, our colleagues, my brothers," Firli said at a press conference at the Merah Putih KPK building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Thursday, May 20.

Firli Bahuri said that he will coordinate with the State Personnel Agency (BKN) and the Ministry of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenPANRB). In addition, the anti-corruption commission will also cooperate with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN), and the State Administrative Agency (LAN).

However, he did not know the fate of the employees from the results of the meeting that will be held this week. Thus, KPK is reluctant to respond further regarding the fate of Novel Baswedan and partners.

"Therefore we do not dare to give a response from the beginning because we have to work together with the next ministry of institutions so KPK remains effective, KPK continues to work hard to eradicate corruption," said Firli.

But to be sure, he insisted that his party to date has not taken a stance against 75 employees who were declared not to have escaped TWK. Firli claimed he never had the chance to stop his employees.

"We want to make sure to this day KPK never dismissed, never KPK fired, and never thought KPK to fire with respect or disrespect," he said.

The discussion will be complicated

The former Deputy Of Enforcement confirmed this. He said discussing the fate of Novel and 74 other officers was certainly not an easy task.

Moreover, the discussion was conducted by cooperating with other institutions as he mentioned. "Following up can not be with one finger, can not only KPK, because it is related to the ministries of other institutions," said Firli.

Even so, he rejects to be accused of disobeying the orders of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to coordinate with BKN and kemenPANRB. Because coordination has been done including with other institutions.

"There is a Minister of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform (Tjahjo Kumolo), there is a Ministry of Law and Human Rights that regulates the regulation, there is the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN), there are state administrative institutions, the presence of MenpanRB and BKN is what we should cooperate," said Firli.

He understands the public wants these 75 employees back to work. However, KPK needs time to process all existing regulations. "We KPK leadership and the secretary-general including with all structural officials, continue to work with no comment," he said.

Firli may call himself to have obeyed President Jokowi's orders related to Novel Baswedan and partners. However, former KPK leader Bambang Widjojanto said otherwise.

According to him, Firli Bahuri and partners ignore direct instruction from the head of state. Moreover, so far there has been no clear decision regarding the fate of dozens of people although Jokowi asked that no party feel harmed in the process of transfer of this status.

"The president's statement about TWK KPK employees was ignored because it has not been followed up completely, cleanly, and clear either by the leadership of KPK, MenPANRB, or BKN," Bambang told reporters in a written statement, Thursday, May 20.

Bambang or commonly called BW said KPK does not provide a reason that can explain why President Jokowi's order was not immediately followed up. This action may be considered to ignore or disavow the policies that have been submitted by the head of state.

"The act of ignoring and/or reneging on the President's policy above, can not only harm the honor of the President and the presidential institution but also referred to as an act against the policy of an accountable superior," Bambang said.

In addition, BW called the decree issued by the KPK leadership to disable 75 employees is the same as unlawful acts. Because, if the decision is not immediately revoked, it will have legal consequences for investigators who do not pass the assessment and disabled.

"The above situation can also be an entrance and legal loophole for corruptors to sue the legal actions of KPK investigators who are notified by the Chairman of the KPK itself," he said.

So, he assessed, KPK needs to declare the decree null and void and 75 employees can return to work carrying out their duties and obligations.

Not only that, there are a number of other actions that must be taken to complete the TWK polemic. The first is to examine the five KPK leaders to make sure there is or not maladministration.

"Second, the procedures, steps, and processes of actions to support KPK employees must be reported in order to be examined by the ASN Commission because it is very dangerous for ASN itself," he said.

Another insistence put forward by BW is to ask Firli to be immediately examined by the KPK Supervisory Board. Thus the indication of violations of the code of conduct can be known.

Fourth, Bambang also requested that members of the KPK Supervisory Board who make statements in support of the leadership of the anti-corruption commission can be examined by an independent ethics board and temporarily dismissed during the process.

"The scandal of TWK method as an instrument of purge must be thoroughly investigated so that it is no longer used because it is racist, violates human rights, and feels like special research ala New Order. Therefore, it needs to be examined by the National Commission on Human Rights and the National Commission on the Elimination of Violence against Women so as not to be investigated as a tool of potential abuse of power interests," he concluded.

The National Insight Test (TWK) was followed by 1,351 KPK employees. From these, 1,274 were declared eligible.

Meanwhile, 75 employees including Novel Baswedan, Chairman of KPK employee union who is also an investigator Yudi Purnomo, Director of Socialization and Anti-Corruption Campaign of KPK Giri Suprapdiono, Head of KPK Task Force Harun Al-Rasyid, and Director PJKAKI Sujarnarko declared ineligible (TMS). The other two employees were not present in the interview.