APSN | KPK staff walk out in protest at Budi case handover

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KPK staff walk out in protest at Budi case handover

Jakarta Post - March 3, 2015

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Jakarta – Hundreds of employees of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) staged a walkout for a quarter of an hour and in protest at the commission's decision to hand over the case on former National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan to the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

Faisal, coordinator for the Forum of KPK employees said they opposed the KPK leadership's move to hand over the Budi case to the AGO and called on KPK leaders to request the Supreme Court to reopen the case.

He said the KPK leadership should provide an open explanation of their strategy in fighting corruption in the country.

Faisal said in a free-speech forum that corruption eradication had to be conducted in the worst conditions and therefore the KPK had to be in the front rank in corruption eradication. "If there are 10 corruption eradicators, we must be part of them but if there is only one corruption fighter, then it is only us," he said.

Nanang Farid Syam, another KPK employee, said the commission had never feared to fight against corruption and the commission had only two choices: Live with dignity or die in humiliation.

Nanang also said they stood behind suspended KPK chairman Abraham Samad and deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto who have allegedly been criminalized for enforcing the law. "What Abraham and Bambang did [naming Budi a suspect] was to implement the law and enforce the law," he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The KPK leaders handed the Budi case over to the AGO on Monday after the South Jakarta District invalidated the KPK's move to name Budi a graft suspect. But Attorney General Prasetyo said later that his office would likely hand the case to the police for the sake of efficiency because the case had once been handled by them.

The demonstration that took place in front of the KPK building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, lasted only 15 minutes and ended when acting KPK chairman Taufiqurrahman Ruki asked them to go back to work.

"Those who are KPK employees are asked to come in and get back to work. Let me face journalists," he told the protesters. Ruki said he was glad and had pride in the protesters.

"I am glad that they had the courage to stage the protest because they were recruited and educated in the KPK's first term of leadership. I led the first term. I was the former chairman of the first term who has been asked to fill the vacant chairmanship seat in the third term. I am part of the protesters and therefore I am glad to see and listen to their demands. Whatever they have said is our voice. Pak Indriyanto and I are part of the KPK staff. I won't be divided from them," he said. (rms)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/03/kpk-staff-walk-out-protest-budi-case-handover.html.