The KPK's Performance Under Firli Bahuri Has Improved, Although Not as Strong as His Predecessors'

On Wednesday night (November 22, 2023), the Jakarta Metro Police announced that the KPK Chairman, Firli Bahuri, had been named a suspect in a case of alleged extortion related to legal issues at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Shortly thereafter, the Deputy Chairman of the KPK, Nurul Ghufron, apologized to the Indonesian people while promising to improve the institution.

"This incident will be a lesson and a basis for our evaluation," said Nurul Ghufron in a press release on Friday (November 24, 2023).

"We are committed to making improvements and are open to receiving suggestions from the public for future improvements," he said.

Although KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri is now a suspect, the anti-corruption agency's performance during his tenure has reportedly increased, as measured by the results of corruption handling.

Based on its financial reports, the KPK's income from corruption handling has steadily increased throughout 2020-2022, with realizations ranging from Rp94 billion to Rp318 billion per year.

The figure is lower than the 2016-2019 period when Agus Rahardjo served as KPK Chairman.

During Agus Rahardjo's era, the KPK's income from corruption handling reached Rp452 billion in 2018, the highest record in the institution's history.

However, compared to the era before Agus Rahardjo, the KPK's income performance during Firli Bahuri's era is also considered quite high.

When Taufiequrachman Ruki served as KPK Chairman in 2003-2007, income from corruption handling ranged from Rp7 billion to Rp47 billion per year.

The publication of the KPK's financial reports from Taufiequrachman Ruki's era is only available from 2005, so the income for 2003-2004 is not recorded.

Then, during the era of KPK Chairman Antasari Azhar (2008-2009), the range of income soared to Rp73 billion to Rp398 billion per year.

Antasari also achieved the second-highest performance record, although his tenure was short because he was charged with being the mastermind behind the murder of Nasrudin Zulkarnaen, Director of PT Putra Rajawali Bantaran.

After that, during the era of KPK Chairman M. Busyro Muqoddas (2010-2011), the KPK's income range tended to decrease to Rp100 billion to Rp189 billion per year.

Then, during the era of KPK Chairman Abraham Samad (2012-2015), the range became Rp35 billion to Rp194 billion per year.

The figures above only include the accumulated income from corruption handling from 5 components, namely:

1. Gratuities income designated by the KPK as state property;
2. Income from confiscated money from corruption that has been decided/determined by the court;
3. Income from restitution of corruption that has been decided/determined by the court;
4. Income from the auction of confiscated/seized goods from corruption; and
5. Income from fines for corruption.

However, this data does not include KPK income from handling money laundering (TPPU), or the value of land/building assets from corruption that have been donated or transferred to state institutions.