Jakarta NU Online
Support for the efforts to eradicate corruption is continuing to pour in from people in various professions: from public officials to activists, and academics to garbage collectors.<>

the Nahdlatul Ulama intellectual who is also the Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD, for instance. He personally visited Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters on Monday to show his support for the fight against corruption.

Mahfud said he was paying a visit not as a chief justice but as a citizen.“I give my support to the fight against corruption, not the institution,” he said.

He said he was convinced the KPK, the National Police and the government had the same intention to eradicate corruption. These institutions should be cooperating to eradicate corruption instead of fighting over technical matters, he added.

Tension between the KPK and the National Police increased following the commission's investigation into a driving simulator procurement case at the National Police Traffic Corps, which implicates its former chief, Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo.

Although the KPK began to investigate, the police subsequently insisted on conducting their own investigation.

Mahfud said he would also go to the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister and the National Police to offer the same support.

Meanwhile, alumni associations from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) also delivered their support to the KPK, and urged the President to take stern and prompt action to resolve the rift between the two law enforcement institutions.

UGM rector Pratikno said during a declaration of support in Yogyakarta on Monday that the President should order the National Police to hand over the driving simulator graft case to the KPK.

Pratikno also called on the public to be aware of the efforts to weaken the commission. “Attempts to criminalize and weaken the KPK can happen at anytime,” he said.

The police attempted to arrest KPK investigator Comr. Novel Baswedan on Friday night over allegations of his being responsible for the death of robbery suspects in 2004, when he was serving as Bengkulu Police detectives chief. The move by police came just shortly after the commission had questioned Djoko for the first time.

ITB alumni association member Ali Nurdin, who arrived at the KPK building on Monday, said that the association urged the President to order the National Police to hand over the driving simulator case to the KPK.

“The National Police cannot handle the case because there is a conflict of interest,” he said, adding that they hoped before the end of October the tensions between the KPK and the police would have ended.

Meanwhile, dozens of garbage collectors also visited KPK headquarters to show their support. They brought along a large cardboard banner, which read, “Garbage collectors are nobler than corrupt officials.”

They gave a speech for 10 minutes before donating small change and Rp 20,000 (US$2) notes to the commission as a symbol of their support. “This is our earnings for the KPK,” one of the supporters said.

Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq