TEHRAN, Sept 17 - Indonesia’s parliament on Tuesday approved changes to a law governing the country’s anti-corruption agency, sparking alarm among activists who say revisions that include curbing its freedom to wiretap suspects will hurt the fight against graft.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club(YJC)_The Corruption Eradication Commission, known by its Indonesian initials, KPK, has prosecuted hundreds of politicians, officials, and businessmen since its formation in 2002, becoming one of the country’s most respected agencies.
Analysts and rights groups say the agency has helped boost governance and transparency in Southeast Asia’s largest economy and improved the country’s investment climate.
“When the revisions are set in motion, corruption in regional areas will run amok,” said Muhammad Isnur of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute.
He said there was a plot “to weaken and amputate the KPK” and noted the approval had been done in a matter of days by a parliament that usually spends months debating changes.
There have been previous attempts by politicians and police to undermine the agency, which has widespread public support but has often been a thorn in the establishment’s side.
But Tuesday’s vote marks the first time revisions to the 2002 law have been approved.
Tuesday’s revisions also mean that an external board will now have oversight and have the power to authorize whether the KPK can carry out wiretaps.
Under the changes, independent investigators will also become civil servants and need to be seconded from state bodies, including the police.
source:reuters
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