SUMMARY:

On Tuesday, Feb. 10, members of the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Commission 3, which overseas legal affairs, human rights and security, praised the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for its structured and transparent expenditure reports. The commission’s  Akbar Faizal – of the NasDem Party representing South Sulawesi’s Second District –  said other ministries and government agencies should look to the KPK as an example and work to emulate its thorough reporting mechanisms.

Also on Tuesday, Feb. 10, KPK Corruption Prevention Director Johan Budi and former KPK commissioner Chandra Hamzah were reported to the police for alleged abuse of power by a little-known organization called the Government Against Corruption and Discrimination (GACD). The organization’s chairman, high-profile lawyer Andar M. Situmorang, claimed that Johan and Chandra had violated articles of the Criminal Code by meeting with former Democratic Party rtreasurer and graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin (see "Implications" below for more details).

Graft suspect and former Religious Affairs minister Suryadharma Ali once again dodged a KPK summons on Tuesday, Feb. 10. His lawyer, Andreas Nahot Silitonga, told KPK investigators his client had been hospitalized with an unknown illness, but failed to provide any supporting documentation such as a doctor’s report. Suryadharma rejected a previous summons on the grounds that it contained a minor typographical error. The former minister is alleged to have misused government-managed haj funds, resulting in state losses of nearly $79 million, according to KPK estimates.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto testified before the South Jakarta District Court’s hearing on Budi Gunawan’s pre-trial motion. He argued before the court that the KPK’s decision to name Budi a suspect was driven by Abraham’s personal vendetta against the three-star general, which allegedly stemmed from the frustration of Abraham’s supposed ambitions to join Jokowi as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2014 election. The KPK Internal Monitoring Unit has already begun a review of these allegations.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, KPK Commissioner Zulkarnain opened the Anti-Corruption Film Festival (ACFFest) in Jakarta. The day-long public event featured short documentary films and a talk show with KPK Vice Chair Bambang Widjojanto, international corruption expert Tony Kwok and renowned Indonesian filmmaker Angga Dwimas Sasongko. Speaking to a full auditorium, both KPK Commissioners highlighted the importance of corruption prevention efforts, including public education through entertaining media such as film, as a crucial counterpart to ongoing law enforcement operations.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS:

Saturday, Feb. 6 – KPK names Jero Wacik suspect in graft case related to term as Tourism minister

Monday, Feb. 9 – KPK questions M. Noer Alya as witness against former Religious Affairs minister Suryadharma Ali in haj graft case.

Monday, Feb. 9 – Hearings begin at South Jakarta District Court to consider Budi Gunawan’s pre-trial motion

Monday, Feb. 9 – PDI-P Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto testifies before KPK ethics council

Monday, Feb. 9 – DPR releases 2015 legislative agenda, highlighting revisions to key anti-corruption legislation

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – South Jakarta District Court continues hearings on Budi Gunawan’s pre-trial motion

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – KPK Corruption Prevention Director Johan Budi and former KPK commissioner Chandra Hamzah reported to police

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – Former Religious Affairs minister Suryadharma dodges KPK summons

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – PDI-P’s Hasto testifies at South Jakarta District Court in hearing on Budi Gunawan’s pre-trial motion

Wednesday, Feb. 11 – KPK hosts Anti-Corruption Film Festival (ACFFest)

IMPLICATIONS:

Allegations against Johan Budi and Chandra follow a number of allegations against senior anti-corruption activists, all filed in the last two weeks, giving the impression of a coordinated campaign to threaten KPK supporters. The allegations themselves were already examined in 2011 by the KPK Ethics Committee – consisting of then KPK commissioners Busyro Muqoddas, Bibit Samad Rianto and Haryono Umar as well as University of Indonesia professor Marjono Reksodiputro and former KPK chair Syahruddin Rosul – and were found to be lacking in substance. The head of the KPK Ethics Committee at the time, Abdullah Hehamahua told the Jawa Pos he was surprised at the attempt to resurrect the issue, and that the filing of new charges was part of an ongoing and systematic attempt to destroy the KPK as an institution rather than its individual leaders.

Throughout sessions at the South Jakarta District Court this week, the KPK’s legal team has objected to the relevance of a number of witnesses, as well as the evidence presented in the hearings. Most witnesses, according to the KPK, have presented speculation rather than evidence or first-hand knowledge of any wrongdoing in the decision to declare Budi Gunawan a suspect. So far, activists’ fears that presiding judge Sarpin Rizaldi’s checkered past would negatively affect his ability to rule fairly in the case have yet to be substantiated; however, the case is still on-going.

COMMISSIONERS’ LEGAL STATUS UPDATE

Abraham Samad – complaint filed with police, under investigation

Adnan Pandu Praja – complaint filed with police, under investigation

Bambang Widjojanto – charged as a suspect

Zulkarnain – complaint filed with police, under investigation

Information as of 5:30 p.m. WIB, February 11, 2015