WEEKLY SUMMARY

Monday, August 24, 2015

• The interview phase of candidate selection for leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commenced on Monday (24/8). The Selection Committee (Pansel KPK) was tasked with verifying all track record findings from independent trackers, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), as well as the general public that were submitted via Pansel's website. Pansel also need to verify the independence of candidates coming from the Police Force.

• KPK named two out of three deputy chairpersons of the City Council in Musi Banyuasin regency as suspects in an alleged bribery regarding the local budget (APBD) accountability report of 2014-2015.

• The Supreme Court (MA) and the Judicial Commission (KY) are urged to sit together and find common perception about supervision of judges. The two institutions should not compete with each other in performing their duties and executing their authorities.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

• The interview phase of candidates for KPK leaders entered the second day. On Tuesday, the sources of candidates' wealth were frequently questioned by Pansel KPK. Aside from that, the candidates views on strategies of corruption eradication also became a focus of attention.

• Public officials dreaded being appointed as trustee of budget users or as commitment signing official in a procurement process for fear of being implicated in corruption. The government argue that this is the main cause of low budget absorption.

• The House of Representatives (DPR) Budget Committee claimed to be uninformed about the budget proposal coming from DPR regarding a 7-stage construction projects of the DPR compound.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

• Wednesday was the final day of the interview phase of candidates for KPK leaders. During his interview session, a candidate for KPK leader, Saut Situmorang, declared that he will forgo past cases of corruption. Should he be elected as a KPK commissioner, he will lead KPK to focus more on recent cases of corruption.

• KPK will continue to crackdown on any government officials who are allegedly involved in corrupting state budgets, despite the governments policy in financial discretion.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

• Pansel KPK guaranteed that any recommendations for any candidates of KPK leaders, will not affect their decision in selecting the final candidates.

• KPK is scheduled to imminently examine Regent of Musi Banyuasin, Pahri Azhari, and his wife, Lucianty. The pair was previously named as suspects in a bribery of Rp 17bn to City Councilmen in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatera.

Friday, August 28, 2015

• Pansel KPK is scheduled to announce eight candidates for KPK leaders who passed their interview tests on Sunday. These eight names will be submitted to President Joko Widodo as clearance for a fit and proper test at DPR.

• Head of Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim) Budi Waseso said to the media that one of the interviewed KPK leader candidates is already named as suspect by Bareskrim.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

August 24

• Day 1 of Pansel KPK's interview selection commenced

• DPR propose budget for additional workspaces

August 25

• Adriansyah, member of DPR 2014-2019 was charged with bribery

• KY asked Judge Sarpin asked to produce additional evidence on defamation case

• Judges drop OC Kaligis pretrial appeal

• Bareskrim alleged corruption in State Audit Office (BPK)

August 26

• Attorney General Office (Kejagung) probe alleged corruption of social aid fund in North Sumatera Provincial Government during 2012-2013

• DPR unable to propose budget of seven construction projects for DPR compounds

• Court clerks admitted to receive bribery from OC Kaligis

• Bareskrim target new suspects in corruption of UPS

• Waryono, former secretary general at ESDM ministry, sentenced to 9 years in prison

August 27

• OC Kaligis charged with 15 years imprisonment

• DPR insist on proposing budget of seven construction projects for DPR compounds

• Suspects in corruption of UPS also charged with corruption of printers and scanners

• Supreme Review (PK) hearing for Hadi Purnomo commenced

August 28

• OC Kaligis Hearing at the Corruption Court postponed, again

• Police HQ submitted case files on UPS corruption to AGO

• KPK questioned former subordinates of Nazaruddin in corruption of medical tools

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

Selecting 8 KPK Leader Candidates

The Selection Committee (Pansel) for leadership of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will soon conclude their mandate. This week, Pansel KPK wrapped up the interviews and medical tests. According to plan, the selection results will be submitted to President Joko Widodo in the near future.
http://news.liputan6.com/read/2303555/pansel-segera-serahkan-8-nama-capim-kpk-ke-jokowi

Pansel KPK deserved a proper appreciation for their work, specifically for the interview sessions. As each day passed during interviews, Pansel gave increasingly sharp questions. These distinctive group of women also successfully confirmed a number of critical points towards the interviewees that they previously gathered from track record findings.

Each day during the interview process, civil society groups recorded a number of important notes. In the first day of questionings, the interview sessions felt more like a forum to hear the opinions of candidates on various matters instead of a testing process. Whereas the public was eager to hear candidates clarification on track record findings.

The Civil Society Coalition for Anti-Corruption noticed a difference in treatment between a candidate and others. Pansel would demand clarification on a subject from one candidate, but didn't demand the same from other candidates. For instance, Pansel scrutinized the wealth and assets of Agus Rahardjo, but failed to ask the same thing to Basaria Panjaitan. They even forgot to ask about the State Official Wealth Report (LHKPN) submitted by Basaria Panjaitan.

During the second day, a number of candidates noticeably failed to clarify questions asked by Pansel. In addition, Pansel again failed to ask several candidates who are obliged to submit an LHKPN report about their wealth and assets. For the record, candidates who are serving as a state official have an obligation to report their wealth and assets when taking office, during service and at the end of their term.
http://nasional.tempo.co/read/news/2015/08/25/063694866/icw-minta-panitia-seleksi-berfokus-pada-harta-capim-kpk

On the third and final day, the Coalition noticed a variety in perspectives expressed by candidates, including self-criticism about the working and organizing of KPK, international efforts in corruption eradication, the importance of social movements in fighting corruption, as well as views on law enforcement in eradicating corruption. The interviews also confirmed that some candidates wouldn't want KPK to have independent investigators. This perception indicated poor understanding about the legal mandates for KPK on organizational empowering, law enforcement and operational independence.

Aside from the interview process, this week the public was stunned with news that one of the candidates is already named as suspect. Chief of the Police's Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim), Commissioner General Budi Waseso teased that a candidate for KPK leader is already named as suspect by his office. According to Waseso, the criminal record of the candidate in question was already forwarded to Pansel KPK.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/08/28/one-kpk-candidate-a-police-suspect.html

In response to this news, Pansel KPK gave official statement that the candidate for KPK leader who was named as suspect by Bareskrim would not pass among the final candidates, for certain.
http://nasional.kompas.com/read/2015/08/28/16083041/Pansel.KPK.Pastikan.Calon.yang.Jadi.Tersangka.Bareskrim.Tidak.Lolos.Seleksi

By the time this article is published, no information is available as to which candidate was named as suspect by Bareskrim.***

DPR Propose Controversial Projects

The House of Representatives (DPR) seem to perpetually produce controversies. After their recent proposal on aspiration funds and plan on seven construction projects were rebuffed by Jokowi, the parliament now propose another budget for purchasing beds or mattresses. The recent streak of ludicrous proposals have kept a negative public perception about members of the parliament.

In their effort to construct a new parliament compound, DPR complained that existing buildings are overcapacity to accommodate MPs and their staffs. Chair of DPR's Budget Committee, Ahmadi Noor Supit, insisted that rather than to renovate existing buildings, DPR prefer to spend an equal sum of money to construct new compound according to current requirements.
http://print.kompas.com/baca/2015/08/27/DPR-Berkukuh-Lanjutkan-Proyek

After the construction project, DPR proposed another fantastic budget only to purchase mattresses or beds at 3 (three) residential compound for DPR members. The proposal appeared out of nowhere with a total budget up to Rp 12bn. This means, every house at DPR compound in Kalibata, Ulujami and Wisma Griya Sabha, will be granted Rp 19m worth of mattresses.
http://news.metrotvnews.com/read/2015/08/20/160259/dpr-alokasikan-rp12-miliar-buat-beli-kasur

DPR's plans to construct, purchase or procure in a string of unsubstantial projects are being seen as a reflection of their apathy on the actual problem currently making people suffer, namely the economic crisis. The escalating prices of basic food, the plan to revoke subsidies, the plunging rupiah against the dollar that make prices soared on imported goods.

Civil society groups that are involved in monitoring the parliament's performance, including the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) have advised DPR to stop all extravagant projects. Public figures such as Din Syamsudin and Romo Benny have also held audience with DPR to ensure that the construction plan is abandoned. However, DPR still have not show any sign to budge and call off their plans.
http://www.tribunnews.com/nasional/2015/08/21/icw-minta-dpr-jangan-lakukan-pemborosan-anggaran-beli-kasur-rp125-miliar

Ironically, an array of DPR's core homeworks, including to finalize various legislations and to improve monitoring functions, are not viewed as urgent agenda among the parliamentarians. Instead, programs that lead to lavish expenses such as comparative studies abroad which is long viewed as mere pretext for sightseeing trips on behalf of parliamentary functions, are already entered in their immediate agenda.

Similarly, the legislation program is saturated with assorted short-term political motives, like prioritizing deliberation to revise Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the 2015 legislation program (Prolegnas). The public have long suspect that the plan to revise KPK Law is intended to castrate the anti-graft body, because DPR in focusing to revise KPK's functions in law enforcement, wiretapping, and case termination. It appears that the public must wait a while longer before seeing a parliament that can stand and work on behalf of the general population, instead of their own short-term interests.***