TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo affirmed that there is no term about the relinquishment of responsibilities from the Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK higher-ups to the President as stipulated in the Law No. 30/2002 concerning the KPK.

“There is no [such rule] in the KPK Law. No term about relinquishing duties, but rather resigned, being died, or charged with graft. No term about it,” said the President in Jakarta, Monday.

Widodo made the statement in response to three KPK leaders who handed over their responsibilities to the President on Friday, September 13 and demanded the President take actions to save the anti-graft body.

They are KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo, KPK deputy head Laode M Syarif, and Saut Situmorang.

“I have said since the beginning that I have never doubted the current KPK leaders and I have said many times that the KPK has good performance,” Widodo underlined.

He said that the government is still struggling to pass the revisions of KPK Law in the House of Representatives (DPR).

“So I need to say this that KPK is a state’s institution, be wise in practicing state duties,” President Jokowi stressed.

Previously, Agus Rahardjo announced that he relinquished his responsibilities as KPK chairman to the President as he deemed the agency is blocked by various parties, especially about the revisions of KPK Law, which is drafted secretly in a hurry. Agus even claimed to have not known about the draft revisions and assumed the points would weaken the KPK.

ANTARA