"The president must assure that any law enforcement official who has been named a suspect must resign or not hold any official post to preserve the honor of the police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) institutions," Syafii Maarif, the chief of the Independent Consultative Team set up by President Joko Widodo to help him settle the current conflict between the police and KPK, stated at a press conference here on Wednesday after a meeting with the president.
He remarked that the president must immediately issue a decision with regard to the future of KPK Commissioner Bambang Widjojanto and Commissioner General Budi Gunawan.
President Joko Widodo recently postponed the induction of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan as the new national police chief after he was named a suspect by the KPK, although the parliament has approved Gunawans candidacy.
In the meantime, the police have named Bambang Widjojanto as a suspect on a charge of asking a witness to make a false testimony to ensure that his client won in a dispute over the result of a district head election in Kotawaringing Barat, Central Kalimantan, in 2010, while he was still a lawyer.
Syafii said the independent team had advised President Joko Widodo to consider proposing a new candidate for the national police chief, so that the institution would have a definitive chief.
"The president must halt any efforts allegedly aimed at merely criminalizing the law enforcement officials, be it the police or the KPK officials or anyone," he noted.
The team also recommended that President Joko Widodo should order the police and KPK to enforce a code of ethics to deal with alleged ethical violations committed by personnel from the police or KPK.
"The president must reaffirm his commitment towards corruption eradication and the rule of the law to meet public expectations," he noted.
Jimly Asshidiqie, a team member, said President Joko Widodo could not be impeached if he failed to induct Commissioner General Budi Gunawan.
"This could not be used to impeach him. The president could only be impeached if he committed corruption, a serious crime, or an indecent act. The cancellation is not a law violation done under his personal capacity, and so, it cannot be used to impeach him," the law professor and former constitutional court chief justice remarked.
Imam Prasojo, another team member, said he could understand the dilemma faced by the president.
"After the team held a discussion and tried to understand the law and opinions in the DPR (House of Representatives) and the general public over the issue, it was certain that if the induction is to be continued, it would cause a controversy," he noted.
"We have taken all factors into consideration, and we have no vested interests. We only think that the KPK or police leaders who have been named as suspects will lose credibility. We hope that the decision will just be viewed as a decision," he added.
(Reporting by Panca Hari Prabowo/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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