The case of alleged bribery in connection with audits carried out by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) is no longer simply a matter of trading audit opinions. A series of events after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) began investigating Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi, a member of the state auditing agency, resulted in further and no less serious suspicions: possible efforts to obstruct law enforcement.
The suspicion is an inseparable part of the political dimension that has overshadowed the case since the outset. Bobby is not merely a BPK member. He served three terms as a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) from the Golkar Party, once led the Young Generation for Renewal (AMPI) and Golkar member organization Kosgoro, was acting Chair of the South Sumatra Golkar Regional Executive Board, and was subsequently elected as a member of the BPK with the approval of the DPR.
This background ensures that every development in the case carries political implications. Consequently, every communication, meeting, or maneuver related to the investigation of the case must be examined transparently through due legal process.
The naming of Titin Rita Lestari as a suspect for allegedly taking bribes to manipulate the Muara Enim Regency administration audit results does not fully explain the construction of the case. As former chair of the South Sumatra BPK Representative Office audit team, Titin only operated at the operational level.
If audit opinions were changed through a multi-level mechanism, the investigation should not stop at the implementation level. The KPK must thoroughly investigate every link in the chain of decision-making and ensure that every official is held accountable in line with his or her authority.
Investigators also named Augusz Dewanggara, alias Angga, a suspect. According to the KPK, Angga was a member of Bobby's expert staff when the latter was still a member of the DPR. Investigators discovered that Angga was still communicating with Bobby, seized a record of a conversation including the code "A5," and are currently trying to discern the meaning of this communication. At the same time, the KPK searched Bobby's house and questioned him for nine hours.
Examining all parties involved in the decision-making chain is not a form of judgement, but the consequence of the principle of "follow the evidence." Investigators must not stop when they come up against senior officials. Conversely, they must not reach conclusions without sufficient evidence.
If changes of BPK opinions arose through a multi-level process – from investigation to review and deliberation to the approval of the relevant authorized official – all these stages must be analyzed. This way, everybody will be held legally responsible according to their role and authority, not only the people taking action at the end of the administrative process.
The same principle applies to the alleged obstruction of the investigation. This includes the reports that Bobby met with Golkar Party General Chair Bahlil Lahadalia to ask for assistance following the sting operations against Angga, Titin, Muara Enim Regent Edison, and other individuals. Achmad Taufik Husein, KPK acting Director of Investigation, has said that anyone proved to have interfered with suspects or obstructed the investigation could be charged with obstruction of justice. He must prove he means that.
Public trust will only be restored if the KPK thoroughly investigates the alleged bribery as well as every effort to obstruct the investigation, no matter who this leads to.
– Read the complete story in Tempo English Magazine
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2115031/the-bpk-audit-bribery-chai