KPK Supervisory Board Considered Dangerous, Government Keeps Searching For Names

JAKARTA - A wave of rejection regarding the formation of the KPK Supervisory Board continues to emerge. One of them is the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) which firmly states that the presence of the KPK Supervisory Board actually endangers the work of anti-graft institutions in carrying out acts of eradicating corruption.

"The supervisory board is dangerous if it is transplanted into the KPK. Even though they will always give permission to wiretaps, the potential for leakage is very high," said ICW Coordinator, Adnan Topan Husodo when contacted by Voi.id via text message, Thursday (7/11).

Moreover, Adnan assessed that the supervisory board was born out of political maneuvers to formulate a new KPK Law. In addition, the process of issuing the law does not run in an accountable manner and is not a public policy that uses the principle of open government administration.

"So we certainly reject all products produced by the new KPK Law," he said.

Despite the many rejections, in fact, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has continued to establish the KPK Supervisory Board. However, ICW said it was consistent in not approving the council as mandated by Law Number 19 of 2019 and inviting the public to conduct their own assessments.

"The public will judge for themselves the consequences of all the new KPK Laws on the corruption eradication program and agenda," he said.

On the other hand, President Jokowi has moved quickly in looking for names who will sit on the KPK Supervisory Board. Jokowi also appointed the Minister of State Secretary Pratikno to lead the task of selecting those who would take up the post.

"Meanwhile, under Pak Pratikno. All processes are under Pak Pratikno," said Presidential Palace spokesman Fadjroel Rachman in Jakarta.

This stage of searching for candidates for the supervisory board will be carried out by inviting a number of competent community leaders to be consulted. "There are people who are asked for advice, there are people who convey it through the State Secretariat or directly to the President," he explained.

The criteria required for a supervisory board position are 55 years of age and a minimum of S1 education in accordance with the new KPK Law. Not only that, it is almost similar to the election for the leadership of the KPK, the supervisory board is also required to have qualifications in the fields of education, law and banking.

Fadjroel also emphasized that the public does not need to worry because later the supervisory board of the anti-graft institution will be selected selectively, credibly and competently.

On that occasion, the President Commissioner of PT Adhi Karya Persero emphasized that there were no names of former DKI Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahja Purnama (Ahok) and former KPK Chairman Antasari Azhar as candidates for the KPK Supervisory Board. "Nothing specifically has been mentioned," said Fadjroel.

The possibility of Ahok and Antasari Azhar entering the post was also subtly countered by Fadjroel. Because both of them were involved in criminal cases, Ahok was sentenced to 2 years in prison for hate speech and Antasari was sentenced to 12 years for murder.

"What exists is that the criteria alone, if they pass S1, they are 55 years old, they have never committed a crime. Of course those who have been subject to corruption are specifically considered," he concluded.