President Jokowi: Bureaucrats, Law Enforcers Banned to Join KPK Supervisory Board

President Jokowi accompanied by Minister of State Secretary and Presidential Chief of Staff delivers press statement on Revision to KPK Law, at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (13/9). (Photo by: BPMI Setpres)

Supervisory Board plays a significant role in the governance because all state institutions including the President, the Supreme Court (MA), and the House of Representatives (DPR) uphold checks and balances principle and supervise each other in carrying out their tasks.

The statement was made by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in a press conference on the Revision to Law Number 30 of 2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), at the State Palace, Jakarta, Friday (13/9).

The President added that both the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and the House have monitoring function. Thus, the establishment of Supervisory Board is really common in the process of good governance, including in the KPK.

According to President Jokowi, members of the KPK’s Supervisory Board will consist of prominent figures, academics, or anti-corruption activists, not politicians, bureaucrats, or law enforcement officers.

“The members will be appointed by the President after passing several tests conducted by a selection committee,” the President said adding that a specific transition-duration must be allocated to ensure the KPK can still exercise its authority before the Supervisory Board is established.

He also stressed on the importance of investigation-termination warrants, or SP3, since law enforcement must also uphold human rights principles and provide legal certainty.

President Jokowi called for an additional one year for a period of time allocated by the House to grant the SP3 in the Bill on KPK Law Revision which is initiated by the House in order to give enough time for the KPK.

“The KPK has the authority to issue SP3 whether the warrant will be executed or not,” he said.

Also on that occasion, President Jokowi asserted that the KPK, like any other independent institutions such as the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, General Election Commission (KPU), the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), consists of state civil apparatus which divided into civil servants and non-civil servants, who are called government employees with work agreements (P3K).

“Nevertheless, I must reiterate that implementation in the transition-duration must be secured. The current investigators and initial police investigators of the KPK have also underwent the transition of becoming a state civil apparatus,” the President firmly said.

To conclude his statement, the Head of State expressed hope that all parties can discuss the issues of KPK Law Revision objectively and with a clear head.

“There will be no compromise in corruption eradication because corruption is our common enemy. I also expect the KPK to play a central role in eradicating corruption in Indonesia since the Commission has more powers than other corruption eradication institutions,” the President said. (UN/ES)

Translated by : Rany Anjany Subachrum
Edited by : Mia Medyana Bonaedy