Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has pointed out that surveillance played a significant role in its recent arrests of politicians suspected of accepting bribes in Musi Banyasin regency, South Sumatra.
Interim KPK deputy chairman Indriyanto Seno Adji said on Sunday that surveillance was the most important tool the antigraft body had. As such, he said, the House of Representatives' plan to amend the 2002 KPK law, including removing its wiretapping authority, should be removed from this year's House priority list, or Prolegnas.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration, which had earlier supported the House's plan, withdrew its support for the legislation on Friday, saying it would the meet with the House to discuss the change of heart.
"The South Sumatra operation is strong evidence that surveillance, including wiretapping activities, is an integral part of the KPK," Indriyanto said.
Following the sting operation in Musi Banyuasin, the KPK on Saturday declared four people suspects: local councilors Bambang Karyanto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Adam Munandar of the Gerindra Party, as well as local bureaucrats Syamsuddin Fei and Faisyar, after arresting them on Friday night. The KPK had wiretapped the suspects since January.
The arrests came just two months after the KPK caught PDI-P lawmaker Adriansyah red-handed accepting a bribe from a businessman on the sidelines of the party's national congress in Bali, where Jokowi and party chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri were present, similarly thanks to wiretapping.
The KPK has in total prosecuted 36 lawmakers, six of whom, including Adriansyah, were arrested for allegedly accepting bribes from businessmen. Other former sitting lawmakers include Al Amin Nasution of the United Development Party (PPP), Bulyan Royan of the Reformation Star Party (PBR), Abdul Hadi Djamal of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Chairun Nisa of the Golkar Party and former Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq.
The KPK also caught red-handed then Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar and then Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKK Migas) chief Rudi Rubiandini accepting bribes in 2013.
The House's plan also involves revoking the KPK's authority to prosecute by forcing it to hand over its investigation dossiers to the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to bring any indictment to trial.
In spite of Jokowi's stance, House of Representatives deputy speaker Fadli Zon of Gerindra hinted that the House would press ahead with its plan, arguing that the existing law had a number of weaknesses.
"I believe that the KPK law should, without doubt, be amended because it is already on the Prolegnas list," he said, adding that the House would start deliberating the amendment soon. "It will be done this year or in the coming years [...] I believe the sooner the better, since the government also plans to revise the Criminal Law Procedures Code [KUHAP]."
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) on Sunday called on Jokowi to ensure that the plan was dropped from the Prolegnas list.
"The House should also cancel its plan to revise a number of articles in the KUHAP and the KUHAP amendment bills [already listed in the Prolegnas], which could potentially weaken the KPK," Lalola Ester of ICW said on Sunday.