JAKARTA. INDONESIA — Dozens of individuals from the Executive Board of the Indonesian Young Activity Community held a demonstration on Wednesday (15 Feb) in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building, calling for the resignation of KPK Chairman, Firli Bahuri.
The protest started at 1 pm, with participants waving flags and holding posters demanding the immediate resignation of Firli. One of the posters read, “We Speak Out Demanding Firli Bahuri Resign from the Position of KPK Chair.”
In a written statement provided to the press, the protesters made three demands, including an investigation by the KPK Supervisory Board (Dewas) into Firli’s alleged involvement in gratification from helicopter rental and billboards. They also demanded that Firli step down from his position as KPK chairman.
In 2020, Firli was reported to the KPK Dewas for his alleged gratification behind helicopter use. In September of that year, an ethical hearing was held at the KPK Anti-Corruption Learning Centre (ACLC) building, resulting in a minor code of ethics violation for Firli. The hearing was conducted following a report by the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) to the KPK Dewas.
The Chairman of the KPK Dewas, Tumpak Panggabean, announced the verdict, stating that Firli had violated the code of ethics and received a mild sanction in the form of a written warning. Despite the verdict, Firli has never been punished for violating the code of ethics, which was a mitigating factor.
As a result of the ruling, Firli is now prohibited from committing similar acts for six months. If he violates the code of ethics again during this period, he will receive a more severe sanction in the form of a medium-category penalty.
The protest against Firli’s alleged involvement in gratification is the latest in a string of public demonstrations in Indonesia, which have called for greater transparency and accountability in government institutions.
