After Taking Photos Together

House of Representative Commission III member Putu Sudiartana seems to symbolize the irony of the country's politicians. The former Democratic Party politician, who was subsequently fired by his party on Wednesday (29/6/2016), was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday, just one day after he attended a breaking-of-the-fast event and discussed corruption eradication measures with the KPK leadership.

The KPK arrested Putu as he was suspected to have received a total of Rp 500 million (US$38,022) on Saturday and Monday.

The KPK claimed the alleged bribery started after Putu called Suhemi, his confidant in Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatera. The KPK said Putu requested Suhemi to immediately transfer the commission money from a road construction project in West Sumatra that he would "take care of" in the revised 2016 state budget. The KPK said "warranty money" for a 12-road project in West Sumatra was then transferred to the banks accounts of Putu's secretary Noviyanti and Noviyanti's husband Muchlis.

The KPK claimed that after the whole sum of money was received through three separate bank transfers on Monday afternoon Putu and his colleagues from House Commission III went to the KPK building for the breaking-of-the-fast event. "He looked his usual," KPK deputy chief Laode M. Syarif told reporters when asked about Putu's expressions when he met KPK leaders that afternoon.

KPK deputy chief Basaria Panjaitan added that the breaking-of-the-fast event and the arrest were not connected. "The arrest was the work of investigators. The breaking-of-the-fast event was the KPK exercising goodwill to maintain good relations and coordination," she said.

During the breaking-of-the-fast event on the third floor of the KPK building, House Commission III members casually spoke with KPK leaders while eating kebuli rice and tekwan. The talks ranged from light issues surrounding Ramadhan to the KPK's role in the future, including how the House Commission could help the KPK in its corruption eradication efforts. "They [Putu and the KPK leaders] talked like they were close friends," said House Commission III member Ichsan Soelistyo, who was there.

At the end of the meeting, House Commission III members and the KPK leaders took pictures together. Not long after the news of Putu's arrest spread on Tuesday, two of the photos were published on social media. In the first photo, Putu is seen smiling with his Commission III colleagues, KPK chief Agus Rahardjo and KPK deputy chiefs Basaria and Saut Situmorang. In the second photo, Putu stands together with Agus Rahardjo.

People commented with jokes about the photos on social media. Many gave two thumbs up to indicate support for the uncompromising KPK. On the other hand, Putu has been widely jeered. A social media user who called himself Amin96 in the popular online forum Kaskus, for example, wrote: "Breaking your fast with the KPK chief and yet KPK members arrest you. This is awesome. Legislators miscalculate. They think just by having dinner with the KPK leaders, they'll get away easily."

 

source Kompas, Thursday, June 30, 2016