Ezra Sihite, Ezra Sihite, Novy Lumanauw, Novianti Setuningsih & Arnold Sianturi – Ten years after it was founded, the national antigraft commission remains confident that it is moving in the right direction in fighting the deep-seated corruption in the country.
"God willing, the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] is still on the right track," Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad saoid on Monday during an event at the State Palace in Jakarta to kick off Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Week.
"We are trying our best to remain careful, professional and independent." Abraham warned that instances of corruption, including bribery, fraud, blackmail and the giving of gifts in exchange for favors, remained rampant in today's society, as evident from the constant revelations in the media.
KPK at work
Since its establishment under former president Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2003, the KPK has received a total of 70,000 reports from the public of alleged corruption, Abraham said.
"We always make sure thorough analysis is conducted in responding to these public reports. There is a large amount of public trust and hope imposed on us to put serious efforts into eradicating corruption," he said.
He added that the institution had continued to receive plaudits and recognition from the public and from other institutions over the years.
"In August this year, we received an international award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, because we are deemed as having been successful in promoting anti-corruption values in Indonesia," he said.
Abraham also said that the KPK would remain independent and would not allow anyone to interfere in its investigation process.
"The KPK will not and cannot be influenced by anyone," Abraham said, adding that the KPK would continue to uphold its professionalism. "The KPK also cannot be forced in making arrests, explaining why one suspect is arrested and another is not."
The KPK has embarked on a series of high-profile investigations this year, claiming arguably some of its biggest scalps in its relatively short history.
In August, KPK investigators arrested Rudi Rubiandini, the head of SKKMigas, the national upstream oil and gas regulator, for allegedly taking a bribe from a representative of a Singapore-based oil trading company.
In October, the KPK arrested Akil Mochtar, the chief justice of the Constitutional Court, who also allegedly accepted bribes in connection with two regional election disputes being heard by the court. The KPK is now looking into the possibility that he took bribes in even more cases.
The antigraft body this year also detained Andi Mallarangeng, the former sports minister, who was named a suspect in December last year in connection with massive corruption in a project to build a sports center in Hambalang, Bogor.
Anas Urbaningrum, the former Democratic Party chairman, was named a suspect in the same case earlier this year.
Poor perception
Antigraft watchdogs have hailed the KPK's performance, but note that the country has a long way to go to eradicate corruption.
"This anti-corruption day has a double meaning for Indonesia," said Tama Satrya Langkun, a researcher with Indonesia Corruption Watch.
"It is a day of sympathy for anti-corruption issues and a day of joy for the corrupt people, because there are at least 12 points that can be categorized as efforts to discredit the fight against corruption."
ICW says the 12 points include the major corruption cases that have yet to be resolved, such as the Hambalang case and the 2008 bailout of Bank Century.
It also noted that there were still a total of 40 individuals involved in corruption on the run in Indonesia and abroad who had yet to be brought to court.
"The names of these individuals are not included on the Supreme Court's official website, which only features a total of seven fugitives. This puts the Supreme Court's performance in question," Tama said.
Indonesia also ranks as one of the most corrupt nations in the world, coming in at 114 out of a total of 177 countries, according to Transparency International's 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index.
KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto, during an event on Monday to break ground for the KPK's new headquarters in South Jakarta, said there had been an increasing number of corruption cases from the private sector this year.
"In the KPK's records, individuals who are corrupt are not just government officials. This year, 44 percent of corruption actors are from the private sector," he said, adding that corruption was an issue closely related to economic crime, and therefore often involved individuals from various corporations in the country.
As for prospects next year, Bambang said issues of corruption may still surface from the procurement of facilities and services in the government, further supported by weak control over institutions of authority.
The upcoming general elections will also trigger more cases of corruption, he warned.
"This year is the final year for political preparations. Political funds are expensive, and at the same time the system is not strong enough to minimize the need for such funds, thus resulting in more incidents of corruption," Bambang said.
Back at the State Palace, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono emphasized that fighting corruption would remain the nation's "unfinished agenda" and a "never-ending goal."
"Let's not hope that in five or 10 years' time Indonesia will be clean from corruption. Corruption eradication is something we will have to continue doing." Yudhoyono said, calling graft a threat to national security.
"Corruption prevention and eradication is an endless battle," he added.