Corruption Yet Again

God knows what is really happening. Corruption happens again and again. Arrests have been made again and again. When will it stop?

The public has witnessed how a member of the House of Representatives from the Democrat Party, Putu Sudiartana, was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly abusing his position as a legislator to become a broker for a government project the House is currently considering. He was the seventh House member arrested by the KPK from the 2014 to 2019 cohort.

Putu is a lawmaker from the Bali electoral region. He sits on House Commission III, which oversees legal issues. However, the political reality is that Putu has been alleged to have taken part in controlling a road construction project worth Rp 300 billion in West Sumatra, which is actually in the scope of House Commission V. The KPK has named another five suspects in the case.

The explanation the KPK gave in its press conference did not clearly describe Putu's role in the case and so it is therefore understandable that Democrat Party politicians have been cautious in making comments. However, in the history of its arrest operations, usually the KPK has already surveilled the suspects or tapped their telephone conversations. When the KPK announces a person to be a suspect, usually its suspicions are proven correct.

What the KPK has accused Putu of doing has been done before him. There have been a number of House members who have acted as brokers of projects that are not in their electoral regions nor belong to a field under their commission. This is a problem that needs to be resolved by House leaders. The House needs to set up a regulation to prevent its members from switching from being representatives of the people to becoming project brokers. Being both a representative and a broker is a betrayal of the House of Representatives' honorable position.

We recommend the House leaders open up and invite the KPK to carry out an audit of the work of the legislators to close any loopholes that enable them to become project brokers. Revamping the system to prevent corruption is needed so that an end can be put to the arrests of the "Honorable Members".

We will push the House of Representatives to act quickly. The House ethics council needs to hold meetings to send a signal it intends for the House to take action against its members who "play projects". Does the suspect detained by the KPK still meet the requirements of being a House of Representatives member? Or will the House be following the normal legal process and stick to the principle of the presumption of innocence? The decision is with the House, but the public needs a sign of seriousness from the House about its arrested member.

source Kompas, Friday, July 1, 2016