TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Reports about the death of Johannes Marliem show that rumors spread faster than confirmed facts. The director of Biomorf Lone LLC, a company in the United States, was reported to have died at his home in Los Angeles two weeks ago. Biomorf Indonesia, a subsidiary of Biomorf Lone, is a subcontractor in the supply of electronic ID cards. Marliem was reported to possess important evidence but had not been named a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) witness in the investigation into the scandal of the project that has cost the state Rp2.3 trillion.

While the cause of death is still uncertain, in Indonesia, members of the House of Representatives (DPR) have been making accusations. Some have said the death is proof that the KPK is unable to protect witnesses. Others have gossiped that the death was the result of Marliem’s identity being revealed because he was interviewed by the media before his death. It seems that the people making these allegations have links with the KPK Special Committee- which was established by the DPR, which wants to weaken the KPK by questioning its authority and practices in eradicating corruption to date.

It is still not clear how Marliem died. The LA police said that Marliem killed himself. KPK commissioner Saut Situmorang confirmed this.

A week before he died, it was reported that there was a robbery at Marliem’s home. He was also reported to have held his wife and child hostage before the house was stormed by a SWAT team.

An eye witness who spoke to this magazine said he had not heard any shots on that fateful night. And nobody was carried out of Marliem’s house. After reporting that the cause of death was suicide, the police said nothing further.

Those spreading rumors should hold their tongues. Even if Johannes Marliem was an important witness, the KPK would not be able to ask him for a statement- he had become an American citizen.

After the death of Marliem if he really is dead the job of the KPK will not be easy. Investigators will have to convince the US law enforcement authorities to give them access to the recordings related to embezzlement in the electronic ID card project.

Moreover, Marliem should not be seen as a whistleblower who was a victim of the electronic ID card corruption plot. He intended to release the recordings of project planning meetings that were reportedly contained in 500 gigabytes of files, but he was not prepared to hand them over for free: he asked the government to pay the Rp540 billion that he claimed was still owed to Biomorf.

The KPK was right to ignore Marliem’s request. If he wants to get his money back, Marliem and Biomorf could launch a civil suit. If he was serious about helping the KPK, he could have become a justice collaborator- which could have resulted in a reduced sentence had he been found guilty. Marliem is strongly suspected of having been one of the most important players in this scandal. The company is believed to have been responsible for providing the funds to bribe DPR members.

The electronic ID card project now faces total failure. The cards that have been given out do not function as a means to confirm people’s unique identity. Although those cards contain biometric data, it cannot be read because there is no equipment to do so- another part of the project that was stolen by the embezzlers. Biomorf now owns data on 170 million Indonesian citizens- information that could easily be misused.

Because of the lack of ID card forms, now citizens applying for electronic ID cards have been given a paper form as a temporary substitute. The cards that have been distributed are valid for the holders’ whole lives, even if they are still young. There will be no more renewal of cards to recheck identity or to ensure the card is still usable. This is a cause for concern.

Despite those huge problems, the government should not give up on the project to create a single identity number via electronic ID card. Remember, cards with unique identity numbers will have many uses, from preventing terrorism to making tax transactions easier. The card can help guarantee that rice for the poor reaches the right people, or prevent the misuse of mobile phone pre-payment cards. Hence, the government must find a way to revive the original aims of the electronic ID card project.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of Tempo English Magazine