Rizky Amelia – After firing three investigators for their alleged close ties to graft suspects, top officials at the nation's antigraft body are denying speculation that their organization lacks independence or is mired with internal divisions.

Busyro Muqoddas, the deputy head of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said the body's officers remain independent even though elite politicians frequently comment on their affairs or try to influence them. In fact, he said, KPK staff ignore not only attacks, but also public statements of support.

"We don't feel that we need to respond to statements of support from anyone because they're not relevant," he said. "A KPK officer's nature is honest, independent, transparent and finally accountable," he added. "If officers embody all four of these, they needn't be concerned whether they receive support."

Bambang Soesatyo, a lawmaker on House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, recently said the public should support the KPK to deal with a perceived rift in the antigraft body.

Greater concern about the KPK's independence and a possible internal rift has surfaced after it fired three investigators for their alleged close ties to high-profile graft suspects Muhammad Nazaruddin, Nunun Nurbaetie and Angelina Sondakh.

The investigators included Brig. Gen. Yurod Saleh and Comr. Afief Y. Miftach, both National Police officers, as well as Dwi Aries Sudarto, a prosecutor for the Attorney General's Office.

The KPK does not have its own investigators, instead relying on police officers and prosecutors. The body's dependence on the police is widely seen as a weakness because it means investigators might be more loyal to police generals with a different agenda.

But KPK deputy Bambang Widjojanto said differences in opinion among KPK officers do not indicate a problem with the functioning of the body. "Do you see any conflict on our faces?" he asked during a press conference on Thursday.

Lawmakers have urged KPK chief Abraham Samad to beware cloak-and-dagger tactics to nobble his team of graft busters.

"Abraham Samad had best be reminded that he must be very careful of corruptors," said Martin Hutabarat, another lawmaker in Commission III. "They will use all kinds of tactics to undermine the KPK, whether through cash, women, family and friendships."

[Additional reporting by Novianti Setuningsih.]