KPK Not Afraid of Searching House
Friday, 25 April, 2008 | 19:54 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Although the House of Representatives (DPR) Chairman blocked the way, the Corruption Eradication Commission emphasized that they will search seven rooms in the parliamentary complex. “We are referring to the law although there is a strong political element,” Deputy Head of the Corruption Eradication Commission Execution Division Bibit Samad Rianto told Tempo Thursday (4/25). “What does the law stipulate? We have the authority to search.”

For that reason, today the KPK will send an execution notification letter to the DPR Chairman. The KPK will no longer need any permit because the court has issued the permit. The KPK will only ask the House to be prepared. Therefore, “In the first place we’ll meet the DPR Chairman instead of searching the rooms without prior notifications,”said KPK Deputy Head Haryono Umar.

The search is to be made to collect evidence as regards the case involving a member of Agriculture Commission Al-Amin Nur Nasution. Al-Amin, now in prison, was alleged to have taken a bribe in terms of the land conversion of 7,300 hectares of preserved forest in Bintan Buyu, Bintan.

Tuesday (4/23), the KPK asked permission from the DPR Chairman Agung Laksono to search Al-Amin’s room. However, the plan was cancelled because Agung refused to approve. According to him, the permit was not issued for the KPK did not coordinate with the DPR. “So, we refuse the search,” he said (Koran Tempo, 4/24).

Thursday (4/25), Agung denied that he had obstructed the KPK from working. According to him, in terms of DPR rooms, the KPK couldn’t step in at any time. “This is not a private house. This is a state institution,” he said. The search was permitted as long as the procedure was applied.

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