Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Anitgraft watchdogs are accusing the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of applying double standards in its handling of the central bank's Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI) corruption case.
"The KPK has applied double standards because it is not proceeding with legal action against prosecutors suspected of having received bribes," Hasril Hertanto, from the Indonesian Judiciary Supervisory Community (MAPPI) at Gadjah Mada University, told The Jakarta Post on Friday. "The KPK is only investigating and prosecuting lawmakers and Bank Indonesia (BI) officials."
Around Rp 31.5 billion (US$3.5 million) worth of YPPI funds were distributed in 2003 by the BI board of governors to members of Commission IX overseeing banking and financial issues at the House of Representatives. The kickbacks were to smooth the political settlement of the BI's liquidity aid (BLBI) and speed up the amendment of a BI law.
Another Rp 68.5 billion was used to pay for the legal expenses of former BI governor Soedrajat Djiwandono, former deputy governor Iwan R. Prawiranata and three former directors, the late Heru Soepraptomo, Hendrobudiyanto and Paul Soetopo. All were implicated in BLBI graft cases.
According to a report from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) to the KPK in 2006, some of the money was given to certain individuals at the Attorney General's Office (AGO) as bribes to halt the legal investigation into senior BI officials.
Cases against Soedrajat and Iwan R. Prawiranata were then frozen due to a lack of evidence while Heru, Hendro and Paul each received an 18-month jail term from the Central Jakarta court.
The BPK report stated that the prosecutors handling Soedradjad and Iwan's cases were Y.W. Mere, Chairul Amir, Enrizna Fahruddin, Andi M Iqbal, Robert Pelealu and Barihgin Sianturi.
"If the KPK was really serious about handling the case, it would have investigated those prosecutors who allegedly received money, even if they serve legal roles similar to KPK officials," Hasrul said.
Febri Diansyah from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said the KPK would dash public hopes for the case to be resolved if it was unwilling to investigate all those who allegedly received money.
"When investigating former BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah, the KPK stated money was distributed to several prosecutors at the AGO," he said.
"Therefore, the KPK must finish the case or risk damaging its public reputation."
It was about time for the KPK to change this "discriminative" behavior, he said, especially amidst growing speculation surrounding leadership at the antigraft body.
However, so far there have been no real moves by either the AGO or the KPK toward investigating the prosecutors' involvement in the case, despite Attorney General Hendarman Supandji saying he would allow KPK investigators to question his prosecutors if they presented enough evidence.
KPK deputy chairman for enforcement, Bibit Samad Rianto, said the commission would evaluate the case further, but refused to specify when it would possibly be resolved.