Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The President has approved three people to serve as interim leaders of the beleaguered Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), after their nomination by a special selection team.
Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, currently commissioner of state postal services company PT Pos Indonesia, and Waluyo, general and human resources director at state oil and gas company PT Pertamina, previously served as KPK deputy chairmen between 2003 and 2007.
Another interim KPK leader recommended by the selection team is Mas Achmad Santosa, a senior adviser to the UNDP on human rights, legal reform and access to justice.
The three interim leaders will head up the antigraft body with the two remaining KPK deputies, M. Jasin and Haryono, as soon as they are inaugurated Tuesday.
The selection team was put together by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono late last month to recommend interim leaders for the KPK, after its chairman and two deputies were implicated in criminal cases.
Suspended KPK chairman Antasari Azhar faced murder charges, while his deputies, Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M. Hamzah, have been charged with abuse of power and bribery.
Adnan Buyung Nasution, a member of the selection team and the presidential advisory board, said those nominated would immediately vacate their current posts to focus on their new duties at the KPK.
"We've asked for their utmost commitment, and they've all agreed because this is a call, this is a state duty," Adnan said Monday after submitting the list of names to Yudhoyono.
The current KPK deputies welcomed the nominations, but demanded Bibit and Chandra be reinstated as soon as they had been cleared of all charges.
"These new people are all temporary leaders, so they should be willing to move on once Bibit and Chandra are proven innocent," Jasin said later in the day. Lawyers for Bibit and Chandra insist the police are carrying out a witch hunt against the highly regarded KPK.
State Secretary Hatta Radjasa said the President had ordered him to immediately issue a presidential decree for the three new interim leaders, adding they would be inaugurated Tuesday afternoon.
Coordinating Minister for Legal, Political and Security Affairs Widodo A.S., also from the selection team, said Tumpak had been recommended to replace Antasari, while Waluyo and Mas Ahmad would replace Bibit and Chandra.
Adnan said Tumpak was the most senior of the three, but added the decision on who would lead the antigraft body would be left up to the five leaders. He said the three had been chosen because of their experience in fighting graft.
"We want people who truly have the capacity and background to help the KPK rise again and resume its job," Adnan said. "We need experienced people who are familiar with the KPK and with handling graft cases. This was suggested by people in the KPK itself."
Mas Ahmad once led a team for reform in the Supreme Court and served as a reform consultant to the Attorney General's Office. He was also a former member of the selection team for KPK leaders in the 2007-2011 period.