Corruption Trends in 2015: Cases Stacked, Lawmen Performance Low

A Research on Corruption Trends in 2015, released by ICW, the Indonesia Corruption Watch, on Feb. 24, 2016, was intriguing for observance particularly from two perspectives. First, this research provided a clearer picture on the performance of law enforcement offices in handling corruption cases, including Polri, the Police Force, the Attorney General Office (AGO) and the Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK. Second, data extracted from various sources for the research had also mapped the most common patterns, methods, actors, and location of corruption. Nonetheless, it must be noted that the research on corruption trends would be inadequate to give the complete picture of corruption problems throughout Indonesia.

Among a number of substantial conclusions, the research recorded 550 corruption cases in the hands of law enforcement offices during 2015 that implicated 1,124 suspects. In total, the potential state loss from all these cases amounted up to Rp 3.1 trillion aside from Rp 450.5 billion in bribery.

In a previous research on corruption trends, ICW recorded a total of 2,492 corruption cases between 2010 and 2014, amassing a total of Rp 30 trillion in state loss and Rp 549 billion in bribery during those five years. 552 of these cases are stalled or had no progress in legal process – there were no official information about whether these cases have been submitted for prosecution, still under investigation, or dismissed.

Such a numerous amount of cases having no progress underline how the aforementioned law enforcement offices have failed to optimally employ all their law enforcement authorities to finish their homework. Presumably, these offices could not perform because they might encounter internal challenges such as briber or corruption, external challenge such as political pressures, or even technical-capacity obstacles.

Another significant picture outlined in ICW's corruption trends study in a mapping of the methods of operation. The most common modus operandi for corruption during 2015 was state fund misappropriation as found in 134 cases that caused a state loss of Rp. 803.3 billion. The next most popular method was embezzlement with 107 cases and a total state loss of Rp 412.4 billion, followed by mark-up (104 cases), abuse of power (102 cases) and fictitious report (29 cases).

In observance of the above analysis and research on corruption trends, it is essential that Polri, AGO and KPK exert the following measures. First, to consolidate all data on handling of corruption cases in each office in order to provide a credible and transparent source of information for the public. Second, to optimize existing information systems in order to present up-to-date reference. These systems are generally available but not used to provide current information. When the systems are consolidated and information made available, then KPK's authority on supervision and coordination of corruption eradication would finally be effective.***

WEEKLY SUMMARY

• Rejecting revision of KPK Law, civil society coalition met Zulkifli Hasan - www.antikorupsi.org/ZxZ

• Zulkifli Hasan: I follow what KPK says - www.antikorupsi.org/Zx4

• State loss due to corruption in 2015 is 3.1 trillion - www.antikorupsi.org/Zxo

• Public service sector most prone to corruption - www.antikorupsi.org/ZxJ

• ICW and AGO have not reached agreement on information dispute - www.antikorupsi.org/Zx3

• ICW held training on monitoring of forestry funds - www.antikorupsi.org/ZxU

• Professors urge DPR to remove KPK Law revision from legislation program - www.antikorupsi.org/Zxc

• More professors joined to reject KPK Law revision - www.antikorupsi.org/Zxp

• Fadli Zon: On KPK Law revision – withdrawal is possible - www.antikorupsi.org/ZxG

STATUS UPDATES

February 25

• KPK questioned legislators from PKB faction as witness in an alleged pledging bribery for road infrastructure project in Maluku.

• The Police Detectives Unit (Bareskrim) questioned Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as witness for suspect Fahmi Zulfikar, councilman from Hanura faction, in the alleged corruption of Uninterruptable Power Supply procurement using the 2014 local budget.

• The Corruption Court of Palu charged former Governor of Central Sulawesi, HB Paliudju – a suspect of corruption and money laundering – with 9 years of prison time, Rp 200 million in fines (or another 6 months in prison), and Rp 7.78 billion of recompensation (or another 4 years in prison).

February 29

• CEO of PT Jayatech Putra Perkasa, Paulus Kokok Parwoko, was questioned at KPK as witness in an alleged corruption of three quay container cranes procurement at PT Pelindo II.

• The pre-trial filed by former Mayor of Makassar, Ilham Arief Sirajuddin, upheld his verdict and sentenced him to four years in prison and Rp 100m in fines (or another 4 months in prison) as well as Rp 150m in recompensation.

• Former Regent of Kotabaru, Irhami Ridjani, was named as suspect by Corruption Crimes investigators at South Sulawesi Police in the alleged corruption and abuse of power during his administration.

March 1

• State Attorney of North Bengkulu ceased investigation on three alleged corruption in North Bengkulu Administration due to lack of evidence. The cases include a fictitious 2015 SPPD (Official Travel Order) in the local legislative, fictitious 2015 SPPD in local development planning Agency (Bappeda), and bribery for mutation of school headmasters in Nov. 2015.

• Management Team Chief for Long-Distance Education at Universitas Setia Budi Mandiri (PJJ USBM) in Telukdalam, South Nias Regency, was sent to two years in prison and fined Rp 200m (or another 3 months in prison) as well as Rp 185,289,904 in recompensation (or another 2 months in prison) for operating without license from the Ministry of Technology Research and Higher Education, thus making the Rp 6.3 billion regency budget allocated during 2012-2014 for their operation a state loss.

• KPK named six legislators at Musi Banyuasin Regency Representative Council (DPRD) in South Sumatera as suspects in an alleged bribery for the council's 2014 and 2015 local budget accountability report with commitment fees in the amount of Rp 17 billion for all regency councilmen.

• AGO questioned former Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Laksamana Sukardi, as witness in an alleged corruption in a 2004 agreement between PT Hotel Indonesia Natour and PT Cipta Karya Bumi.

• Provincial Police of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) issued an Investigation Cessation Order (SP3) for the case on social aid (bansos) for religious boarding school or pondok pesantren in East Lombok that implicated Provincial Representative Council member.

March 2

• Legislator from Golkar faction in Commission V at DPR, the House of Representatives, Budi Suprianto, was named as suspect for allegedly receiving bribery related to road construction projects at the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).

• Twenty investigators from the Provincial Attorney of Aceh searched the local Finance Office to follow up on an alleged corruption of oil and gas funds, Rp 22 billion.

• Former General Manager Hutama Karya, Budi Rachmat Kurniawan, and an Interior Ministry Official, Dudy Jocom, were named as suspects in corruption of IPDN building construction project in Agam regency, West Sumatera.