Good People Do Not Make Corruption Eradication Corruption Eradication Of Authority

Deputy Chief Justice Mahfud MD (Wardhany Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Mahfud MD said that President Joko Widodo would have a surprise regarding the KPK Supervisory Board which will be announced in the near future. Not only that, Mahfud asked the public not to worry. This is because the names of those who will occupy the positions have met the criteria.

"The president also knows the criteria, but it will come as a surprise that his dewas (supervisory board) is doing well," Mahfud told reporters at the Kemenkopolhukam Office, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, December 10.

As if he wanted to keep the surprise from being noticed by the public, Mahfud did not explain what the word 'good' meant. Is it good track record or just looks good. What is certain, said the former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK), he did not participate in providing input on the name of a figure who deserves to be the supervisory board for this anti-graft institution.

Moreover, for the first time being stipulated, 1 Chairperson and 4 Deputy Chairmen of the Supervisory Board will be directly elected by President Jokowi. However, he did not deny that the number of names that entered the hands of the former DKI Jakarta Governor for further selection.

"There are a lot of names coming in, yes. But, we don't know where it is. Yes, let it be the president (who determines the name)," he said.

Before Mahfud talked about surprises, Jokowi briefly said that it was final in compiling the name of the supervisory board that was born from Law 19/2019.

It's just that he doesn't know when the name will be announced. This is because Jokowi still has several weeks before this council is inaugurated with the leadership of the KPK for the 2019-2023 period on December 21.

Is it enough for a 'good person' to be the KPK Supervisory Board?

As a body that helped establish the KPK Supervisory Board, of course Jokowi cannot just choose a name to occupy this crucial position. Some time ago, the Presidential Palace confirmed that this council would be filled by people with integrity, had a good track record and had experience in the fields of criminal law and financial management audits.

However, the criteria presented by the Presidential Palace were actually viewed with skepticism by the Secretary General of Transparency International Indonesia (TII), Dadang Trisasongko.

According to him, as long as the supervisory board's work system is unclear, no matter how good the track record or professional ability of the figures who become the KPK's Supervisory Board, there is still a chance for abuse of authority. Moreover, Dadang assessed that the anti-corruption agency supervisory board with all its powers did not reflect the KPK's accountability.

"This supervisory board cannot be supervised. Even though this council has the authority to take action," he said when contacted by VOI via text message, Wednesday, December 11.

Thus, in the absence of a supervisory system, it is not impossible that there will be loopholes for abuse of authority. Even though Jokowi has chosen his best man.

"By selecting (people) who according to the president are the best, it does not mean that in the future there will be no loopholes for abuse of authority," he concluded.