TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The arrest of Dewie Yasin Limpo shows that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) still has teeth despite repeated attempts to remove them. The detention of a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) also shows the dark side of the endeavor to stamp out corruption. Public enthusiasm to eliminate graft, especially within the DPR, remains high.
Dewie, who entered the DPR in 2014, is a new face at Senayan. Last week, the politician from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) was detained by the KPK on suspicion of accepting a bribe in connection with a micro-hydroelectricity project at Deiyai, Papua. She was indicted for bribery after her personal secretary was caught in the act of accepting S$177,700. According to the KPK, the bribe was only half the promised amount.
The KPK also detained the two people who had given the bribe: Irenius Adii, chief of the Deiyai regency energy and resources department, and businessman Septiadi. Irenius has long wanted an electricity project in his region. On the official Deiyai regency website, he wrote, "For the land and people of Deiyai, we must lobby the central government."
The Dewie case shows that politicians seem oblivious to the fact that their actions break the law, despite dozens of them having been jailed since the KPK was established 12 years ago. Furthermore, last week Patrice Rio Capella from the National Democrat party was also nabbed by the KPK over a case involving social assistance funds in North Sumatra. In April, Adriansyah from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction in the DPR was detained for accepting a bribe to falsify a mining permit.
Stealing money from a government project, the charge against Dewie, is nothing new. We still remember the Democratic Party trio M. Nazaruddin, Anas Urbaningrum and Angelina Sondakh who were jailed for the same crime. This seems to be a circle of corruption that is difficult to eradicate. Regional officials seem easily tempted into committing graft. Otherwise, how would they obtain the funds to bribe DPR members or central government officials?
Political dynasties in many areas are also fertile ground for corruption. This is why the KPK should expand its investigation of the Dewie Limpo case because she also comes from such a political dynasty. Dewie is the sister of Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who is serving a second term as governor of South Sulawesi. Almost all of Dewie's seven siblings are in positions of political power in the province.
The Dewie case could spur the KPK into striking further. Investigators also need to determine whether Dewie's colleagues in the DPR energy commission were involved in the bribery. The minutes of the meeting between the energy commission and the energy and mineral resources ministry in April show that Dewie was openly fighting for the electricity project in Deiyai. But the question is whether she worked alone. The agreement of her commission colleagues and the DPR budget committee would have been necessary for the project to proceed.
The war on corruption must continue because the behavior of politicians has not changed. They want to weaken the KPK and have drawn up a bill that would limit the lifespan of this anti-graft organization. The KPK should act as a mirror for politicians and officials, showing the true face of Dewie Limpo and those of others. Simply throwing away the mirror will not conceal an evil face. (*)
