Jakarta – The House of Representatives came under attack Friday for rebuffing the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) move to search the office of an arrested lawmaker.
Critics have said the House's demand for a "permission letter" demonstrated the body was resistant to efforts to combat corruption.
Romli Atmasasmita, a criminal law expert from Padjajaran University in Bandung, said the House had no legal grounds to reject the KPK's search of lawmaker Al Amin Nasution's office. Al Amin was arrested on charges of bribery earlier this month.
"That is totally ridiculous. This shows the House is resistant to corruption eradication. Why do they urge the government to process the Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance (BLBI) scandal? Why was the House silent when the KPK searched the office of the Supreme Court chairman in the past?" Romli told The Jakarta Post.
He said the KPK did not need court permission to search lawmakers' offices. "Please do not lie. I was among those who drew up the law on the KPK. A permission letter is not necessary for the KPK in this case," said Romli, who is also an expert staff at the ministry of law and human rights.
He warned the House's refusal could be considered an attempt to hinder law enforcers' investigation. "If everybody is truly equal before the law, the House speaker can be arrested because he has violated the anti-corruption law," said Romli.
Prominent lawyer Frans Hendra Winata shared Romli's views, saying the KPK has full authority to raid the offices of any lawmaker implicated in a graft case. "The KPK has followed the law that was actually deliberated by the House itself," he said
House Speaker Agung Laksono insisted Friday on opposing the KPK's move, saying his decision was supported by House faction leaders in a meeting a day earlier. Agung said the House had strong arguments not to allow the KPK to search lawmakers' rooms.
"It's important to maintain the harmony between state institutions. The House is a political state institution with rights that must be respected by others," said Agung. "The KPK should not treat lawmakers like criminals," he added.
Irsyad Sudiro, who serves on the House's disciplinary council, said the KPK had to follow formal procedures before conducting the search. "As stipulated by the regulation, the KPK must come up with a permission letter from a district court," he said.
Lawmaker Ahmad Fauzi of the House's Commission III overseeing legal affairs raised the idea of disbanding the KPK.
"Some of our colleagues have started to talk about a suggestion to revise the law on the KPK. If necessary, the KPK could be dissolved," he said while accusing the anti-corruption body of "overreacting".
KPK chairman Antasari Azhar said Friday his office would go ahead with a plan to raid the office of Al Amin to collect more evidence as part of the investigation into his bribery case. "We already have permission from the Corruption Court," he said, adding that the 1999 corruption law only requires the KPK to ask for court permission.
Antasari said the KPK submitted the court letter to the House's General Secretariat on Tuesday before it was to search Al Amin's office on Friday. However, the House prevented the anti-graft body from entering any offices there, he added. (alf/ewd)