TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) politician Supratman Andi Agtas said that his party would insist on rejecting revision of Law No. 30/2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). However, Andi revealed that Gerindra could agree on the KPK Law revision if the point related to KPK’s authority in phone tapping was amended.
“We think that public officials must be tapped. There is no need to ask for approval [to tap officials]. If the suggestion is approved, Gerindra would agree on the revision,” Supratman said at the Senayan Parliamentary Complex on Thursday, February 11, 2016.
According to Supratman, such a move would reinforce KPK’s function as a watchdog institution. Currently, the point related to tapping operations is included in the list of those to be revised. Article 12A of KPK revision draft, the KPK would need to ask for an approval from the KPK Supervisory Council for a phone tapping operation, unless in an urgent situation.
He added that there would be no guarantee that the revision of the KPK law would stop at this point. “The House of Representatives is a political institution. The revision could be uncontrolled, and it could kill the KPK,” Supratman argued.
Earlier in a meeting to express views from mini-factions at the House’s Legislative Board, nine factions had agreed the KPK Law revision. Gerindra was the only party rejecting the KPK law revision. Included in points to be revised were those related to the formation of the KPK Supervisory Council, the authority to issue the letter of order to stop investigation, the authority to appoint independent investigators, and KPK’s authority in tapping operations.
EGI ADYATAMA