For the post of the secretary general, an active soldier cannot be recruited."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - An active member of the military (TNI) will not be allowed to become the secretary general of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla said here on Friday.

"For the post of the secretary general, an active soldier cannot be recruited. Active soldiers may hold posts in certain institutions only, such as the Ministry of Defense and the National Defense Institute, not in all institutions like here (the vice presidents office). An active soldier is not allowed here," he stated.

He added that if a TNI member wished to run for the post of the secretary general of the KPK, the person concerned must first resign from the military so that his status would be that of a civilian.

"If he (a TNI member) retires or is pensioned off to become a civilian, it is not the office but the law that makes him so," he explained.

With regard to TNI members becoming investigators, Kalla pointed out that it was impossible as the law states that only members of the police or the prosecutors office are allowed to be in the position.

Moreover, Commander of the TNI General Moeldoko said he received a request from the KPK to send a TNI member to become the secretary general of the anti-graft agency.

"There was no request from the KPK for my men to become investigators, but I know the request was only for the post of the secretary general," he told newsmen after giving directives to a number of TNI/police members in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday.

Moeldoko affirmed that he was ready to have his cadre become a member of the KPK, but he must first resign or retire from the TNI.

The post of the secretary general or an investigator are not closed for TNI members as long as the persons concerned are able to meet the requirements of the anti-corruption body, the general emphasized.

"This is for the sake of the states interest. If the state calls, all TNI members must be ready according to the requirements," he said.

He denied that the request for a TNI member to become part of the KPK organization was aimed at standing against police personnel who have been employed in the KPK so far. He said it was a task that may be given to a state institution for the sake of the country.

(Reporting by Fransiska Ninditya/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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