Criticizing KPK, Politician Under Spotlight

Fahri Hamzah urges that Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission is shut down.

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Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS) politician, Fahri Hamzah is under the spotlight following his statement during the consultative meeting between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the House leaders. Fahri, who is Deputy Chairman of Commission III announced his intention to disband KPK.

His statement stirred up controversy. Some agreed with his opinion, but more denounced it and accused him of being against corruption eradication. In fact, this was not the first time he conveyed the idea. What is wrong between KPK and Fahri? Could this be related to corruption case where the defendant, former Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Rokhmin Dahuri pointed his involvement?

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For information, Fahri reportedly had received Rp150 million from Rokhmin Dahuri. Fahri received the money during the period of between 2002 and 2004 from Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries’ non-budgetary funds. He claimed to have received the funds for composing Rokhmin’s speech. However, Fahri denied his motive of shutting down KPK was due to a certain sentiment.

"What does it have to do with the case? I was not hurt for being mentioned. Not necessarily everyone who does criticism is ever hurt," he said when contacted by VIVAnews on Wednesday. He also denied the allegation saying that he was put down because his colleague, Misbakhun, being declared as linking to Bank Century case.

Fahri said the base of his remark was the many issues surrounding the KPK. For example, the case of Bibit-Chandra, also the discordant relations among KPK, the National Police and Attorney General's Office (AGO) in combating corruption.

"The KPK was set up to go along with the police and prosecutors to combat corruption cohesively. But the fact is, the discordancy is very strong," he said. He also compared the achievements of KPK with similar institution in Hong Kong.

Hongkong’s anti-corruption institution managed to eradicate corruption in three years, so Indonesia’s KPK should have only taken two years, he said. KPK through its chairman Busyro Muqoddas, has directly addressed Fahri’s remark. "If Mr. Fahri has an agenda of disbanding KPK, we'll wait through PKS faction and others through legal channels. We are only implementing the mandate," said Busyro.

VivaNews.com