TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK has executed the ethical decision of its Supervisory Council against 78 staff that were found applying illegal levy in KPK’s prison. The guilty staff were ethically sanctioned with a public apology on Monday.

The Supervisory Council has probed 90 staff previously, in which 78 were found conducting ethical violations. In contrast, 12 others were handed over to KPK’s Secretary-General as the violations were conducted before the council was formed.

“I apologize to the Corruption Eradication Commission and its members for my Ethical Code violation,” one of the staff’s representatives declared at the KPK building yesterday.

A legal expert at Trisakti University Adul Fickar Hadjar told Tempo on Tuesday that the apology was “an unfair punishment since illegal levy in principle is a crime”.

According to Fickar, even the smallest damage from illegal levies must be brought to a criminal court. “Moreover, the violators are staff of KPK which handled corruption eradication cases, so it’s unfit for them to remain in KPK,” he said. “They must be fired.”

“Yes, they must be fired and jailed, since failure to do so will certainly be the downfall of KPK’s honor and prestige,” he added.

According to Abdul Fickar Hadjar, there are consequences if the staff involved in illegal levy are not punished accordingly. “They will repeat offense if given a chance,” he explained. “And this will not only smear KPK’s prestige but all of the law enforcers’.”

S. DIAN ANDRIYANTO

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