Jakarta – After seven years, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to face an uphill crusade to eliminate graft in the country.
With unresolved cases such as the 2004 Bank Indonesia vote-buying scandal and the illicit procurement of fire trucks from 2002 to 2005, the paladin of the state's antigraft measures is far from winning the battle.
KPK has named 25 suspects, mostly former and current legislators, in the vote-buying case and sentenced to prison four former legislators, but has thus far failed to question key witness Nunun Nurbaeti, who allegedly distributed billions in traveler's checks to many legislators to buy votes to help former Bank Indonesia deputy senior governor Miranda S. Goeltom win the post in 2004.
In the fire truck scandal, the KPK named former home minister Hari Sabarno as a suspect in September. Despite this high profile move, there has been no progress, even though investigations began in January 2008 and seven local administration heads have received prison sentences.
There is widespread speculation the KPK has been weakened following the conviction of former chairman Antasari Azhar on murder charges, and extortion allegations made against deputies Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto.
Doubts over the commission's performance culminated when the antigraft body, despite having the authority to do so, declined to take over this year's high-profile graft case centered on former tax officer Gayus Tambunan.
However the KPK uncovered other corruption cases, including putting on trial former social services minister Bachtiar Chamsyah for embezzling Rp 36.6 billion (US$4.1 million) in state funds from various procurement projects at the ministry between 2004 and 2008.
This year also marked an expanded focus to eradicate corruption at regional levels, including identifying illegal forest licensing outfits and unraveling graft in various regions. It issued a deadline to the Forestry Ministry to fix exploited loopholes in its regulatory framework to improve monitoring.
The KPK has also escalated prevention efforts, allocating Rp 15 billion of its Rp 260 billion budget for a prevention unit and Rp 9 billion for an enforcement unit. "Preventing corruption is as important as investigating corruption cases," KPK deputy chairman for the prevention unit, M. Jasin, said.
A small success in the KPK's drive to prevent graft was made on Dec. 1 when the commission and the Public Works Ministry, launched the Indonesia Memantau (Indonesia Monitor) website that allowed the public to monitor the condition of roads. The online portal, www.indonesiamemantau.kpk.go.id, provides information on road projects, including specifications and contractors.
There are also changes in the Corruption Court system this year, with three new local graft courts set up in Surabaya, Semarang and Bandung on Dec. 17 by the Supreme Court, which fall under the supervision of KPK. The revised anticorruption law requires the setup of local corruption courts in all 33 provinces. (ipa)