Ismira Lutfia – The Corruption Eradication Commission's performance is "still far from what is expected" and is not properly performing its three main functions – preventing graft, punishing offenders and improving the legal culture, lawyer and activist Adnan Buyung Nasution said on Wednesday.
"I don't see that the three tasks have been carried out simultaneously," Adnan said.
Even though the punishment of those found guilty of corruption had been the most obvious action taken by the commission, also known as the KPK, it has been carried out without planning, he said.
Speaking at a seminar on the role of media in law enforcement at Atmajaya University, Adnan said preventing corruption meant that reform should "streamline the bureaucracy so there is no crack for corruption."
He used Hong Kong's antigraft body, which has been effective in eradicating corruption with an integrated 20-year plan, as an example.
"Why can't we emulate them? They have clear targets for each phase with measurable achievement parameters," Adnan said, adding that the Hong Kong anti-graft agency had been effective because it targeted the police first in its battle against corruption.
Hong Kong's approach was to first reform the police because it was the law enforcement authority that would outlast the anticorruption body, Adnan said.
"They told me that if the police is reformed first, the public would come to the police to file any charges and the police is the main partner in battling against graft," he said.
The KPK could use this approach as an example and set clear targets for achievement over five or ten years, Adnan said.
"It may take 20 years to completely eradicate corruption. Maybe it could take more, but there should be a fixed plan including how long we will maintain the KPK," he said, adding that KPK officials and staff "are no angels" and are just humans who can make mistakes.
"I think the KPK must remove all of its investigating team and replace them with new and independent recruits that are not from the police, unlike now."
"Currently, police officers may become KPK investigators and this led to duel loyalty to the commission and to the police," Adnan said.
Last year, Adnan led the so-called Team of Eight established by President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono to investigate graft allegations against KPK deputy commissioners Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah.
Bibit, who was also a speaker at the seminar, said that it was fine for people to be unsatisfied with the performance of the commission. "We will try to improve and if we need to have a long-term plan we can discuss it further," Bibit said.
However, the KPK must consult with the House of Representatives first before making major policy decisions.
The commission actually has a "grand design" to combat graft, which involved deterrents, recovering money and bureaucratic reform, Bibit said.
The KPK has programs aimed at preventing corruption but they rarely attracted any publicity because the media was not interested in publishing stories about them, he said.
"Our recovery strategy includes returning state money," Bibit said, adding that the commission would refer to government policy if it was required to make any long-term plan.
"What we have so far is a five year plan in accordance with our tenure as commissioners," Bibit said. The next commissioners would be required to come up with their own plan, he said.