Jakarta – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan says that Government Regulation (PP) Number 41/2020 on changing the status of KPK employees into state public servants is the final step in weakening the KPK.
“This is the final step in weakening the KPK. This time it’s the issue of the independence of its employees. It can be clearly seen that President Jokowi has directly contributed to weakening the KPK”, Baswedan told journalists in a written message on Sunday August 9.
Novel said that the government regulation represents the latest in a series of revisions derived from replacing Law Number 30/2002 on the KPK with Law number 19/2019. Under the revised KPK law, KPK employees become state civil servants (ASN) as referred to under the legislation on the state civil apparatus.
According to senior KPK investigator, the implications of this regulation is that the anti-graft body that is being eradicated. Not corruption. “Ironic”, he asserted.
In order to fully eradicate corruption, added Baswedan, an independent anti-corruption body is needed as enshrined in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and The Jakarta Principles, both of which have been ratified by Indonesia.
Yet the independent status of the commission has instead been changed under the revised KPK Law which also states that the KPK is now under the authority of the executive.
“An independent anti-corruption agency must have employees who are independent and obtain state protection in carrying out their duty to eliminate corruption”, said Baswedan.
Earlier, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo issued Government Regulation Number 41/2020 on the Transfer of Corruption Eradication Commission Employees to Become State Civil Servants. Widodo signed the regulation on July 24 and it come into force on July 27.
“Corruption Eradication Commission employees are ASN as referred to under the legislation on ASN”, reads Article 1 Paragraph 7 of the new government regulation as available on the State Secretariat Legal Information and Documentation Network (JDIH) website on Sunday August 9. (ryn/DAL)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was “Novel Baswedan: Terlihat Jelas Presiden Jokowi Lemahkan KPK”.]
