TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gerindra Party deputy chair Arief Poyuono claimed there were huge funds from oil and gas and mining mafias involved in the revisions of the Law No. 30 Year 2002 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

He said hundreds of billions of rupiahs was distributed to multiple parties in order to pass the draft bill.

“There is huge money amounting to hundreds of billions collected by government project players and corrupt SOE workers as well as oil and gas and mining industry players to pass the revision of the law by the DPR and the government,” Arief told reporters, Friday, September 13.

Arief explained the funds were distributed to House members, executive officials, and legal experts backing the weakening of the anti-graft body who were jointly discussing the draft revisions.

He also accused them of using the funds to drive unemployed people and political figures to support the law revisions, so the public would think that the revisions were necessary.

“This is proven by the rampant acts and statements voiced by figures backing the law revisions,” Arief added.

He went on to say that corruptors in Indonesia feared the law, so they had high interest to clip the KPK's wings. Quoting his party chair, Prabowo Subianto, Arief likened corruption practice in the country to a stage four cancer.

He then appealed to his colleagues in the DPR to reject the planned revisions. “Otherwise, corruption will be like a chronic disease and infect lawmakers in the executive and the judicative bodies,” Arief remarked.

The House’s legislative board member, who is also an initiator of the KPK Law revisions, Masinton Pasaribu, was reluctant to respond to Arief’s remarks. He deemed the statements from the Gerindra politician should be disregarded.

BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI