Novel Baswedan Et Al Don't Immediately Become Investigators In The Police, Mahfud MD: Let The National Police Chief Manage

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said Novel Baswedan and 55 employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) who would be drawn into the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) did not immediately become investigators.

This was conveyed by him in response to the desire of the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to withdraw 56 employees who would be expelled on September 30 after they failed to be sworn in as ASN at the KPK.

"In the National Police they will not automatically become investigators," Mahfud told reporters, Wednesday, September 29.

The former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK) said that Novel Baswedan and colleagues would later be placed in a position to help eradicate corruption. "What is the position? Wait for the National Police Chief to arrange it," said Mahfud.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the position of ASN in the Police and the KPK is the same. However, these employees were expelled because formally the formation for the 56 employees who did not pass the National Insight Test (TWK) was not available.

"ASN is the same in the KPK or the Police. The rules are subject to the same law," said Mahfud.

Previously reported, 7 employees were declared unable to work at the KPK because they could not become ASN according to the mandate of the KPK Law Number 19 of 2019 as of the end of September. The employees include senior KPK investigators Novel Baswedan and Ambarita Damanik, Chairman of the KPK Employee Forum Yudi Purnomo, KPK investigator Harun Al-Rasyid, and dozens of other names.

The anti-corruption commission argued that their inability to become ASN was not due to laws and regulations such as Commission Regulation (Perkom) KPK Number 1 of 2021, but because of the results of their assessment.

Ahead of the dismissal, the National Police Chief admitted that he wanted to recruit 56 KPK employees who did not pass the TWK to become Polri ASN. This wish was conveyed in a letter to President Jokowi last week and was approved.

The reason Sigit wants to recruit dozens of employees is that the Police need human resources to strengthen the line of action against corruption cases. Moreover, the National Police is currently also focusing on handling the COVID-19 recovery.