Yuris Rezha Kurniawan as a Researcher at the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies (Pukat) of the UGM Law Faculty, said that the resignation of some KPK employees indicated that internal problems were twisting in KPK today. According to him, this case must have related to the impact of the KPK Law revision, which causes the independence of the KPK in resolving corruption cases to be investigated due to changes in the institutional side of the KPK, transfer of employee status, and the existence of the Supervisory Board. "We suspect the resignation of Febri and his friends is due to many internal problems. However, there should be a further explanation from the person concerned with these problems," said Yuris on Tuesday (29/9).
According to him, after the revision of the KPK Law had an impact on several points on the independence of the KPK. From an institutional perspective, the inclusion of the KPK in the executive branch has rejected the original mandate of establishing the KPK as an independent state institution. Second, establishing a Supervisory Board has the authority to grant or not permit wiretapping, searches, and confiscation. "This reduces the independence of the KPK in the law enforcement process," he said.
Third, the change in the employment status of the KPK to ASN also affects independence because it can build conflicts of interest with government agencies commissioned to regulate ASN.
The occurrence of the new KPK Law will reduce the credibility of the KPK in front of the public. Several survey results showed that public trust for KPK has decreased. "The performance of the KPK is also not very transparent with the absence of strategic cases being handled. Also, the ethical issues that happen to the director of the KPK," he added.
To rebuild public confidence during the internal problems they are currently facing, Yuris emphasized that the KPK must at least answer public challenges to handle strategic cases seriously. "There are quite a lot of cases in this period. However, most of the cases came from the previous management period, while the new cases have not been that strategic," he concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Translator: Natasa A