YOGYAKARTA – Centre for Anti-Corruption Studies (Pukat Korupsi) of Universitas Gadjah Mada has urged the Centre for Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis (PPATK) to monitor the flow of campaign funds contribution for 10 political parties eligible for Election 2014. It is possible that this would open door for funds being corrupted from the State Budget and Regional Budget despite the ban for political parties to receive contributions from State Owned Enterprises and regional and village level enterprises.
The lack of regulation in the Political Party Law limiting contributions from supporters became the door for parties to get money as much as possible. “Let’s prevent funding opportunities for members of political parties who became high ranking officials, cooperating with businessmen winning a tender,” said researcher of the Pukat, Hifdzil Alim, to reporters on Thursday (10/1).
According to Hifdzil Alim, the preventive measure needs to be taken by the PPATK to anticipate against possibilities of the reemergence of the Nazarudin corruption case that had made use of false companies to get government projects.
Another researcher, Oce Madril, encouraged law enforcers to be serious in monitoring party funding, particularly in 2013. “Party funding is a serious problem for law enforcers,” he said.
He still proposes that law enforcers should track down party funding sources by matching contributor profiles despite the audit done by the State Financial Auditing Board for party funding. If no match, the contributor and the party can be reported. “It’s highly possible that the ‘unclear’ funds are corrupted funds,” he said.
Pukat Korupsi UGM in its report of corruption trend has indicated that political corruption is a trend that has to be seriously dealt with all through year 2013 as it is the the campaigning time for political parties. One measure to take is by cutting off the links of party funding that is likely to come from project fees of procurement of goods and services being ‘forcefully’ asked from State Owned Enterprises.