At the opening of the Annual Session of the MPR with the DPR and DPD in August 2020, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo appreciated the performance of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) for completing and submitting 1,180 audit reports, along with various recommendations to the Central Government. Nevertheless, BPK’s toughest tasks have just started. In the past week, it examined the management and responsibility of State finances in handling the pandemic and restoring the national economy. Can the BPK carry out its duties properly?

In September 2018, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo issued the Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 8/2018. It requires all State officials to stop the expansion of oil palm plantations temporarily (moratorium) and to evaluate oil palm plantations. At the time, hope was welling up, because the Inpres was signed in the midst of criticisms that the Government was only focused on distributing land certificates without any serious intention to tackle agrarian problems. A week later, the Government issued a Presidential Regulation (Perpres) as a supporting regulation. Two years after the enactment of the mentioned regulations, the awaited reforms are still far from being realized.

Bambang Trihatmodjo, son of the late President Soeharto, has filed a new lawsuit against the Minister of Finance. The lawsuit is related to the Presidential Assistance funds (Banpres) used to finance the 1997 SEA Games. Bambang was the chair of the 1997 SEA Games Organizing Partner Consortium.

Like the National Police (POLRI), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) also asked for an additional budget for 2021. The AGO has to repair its burnt main building, but its 2021 budget is less than 10 percent of the total budget allocated to POLRI.

The Supreme Court decided to grant the Reconsideration (PK) petition submitted by former member of the House Commission V of the House of Representatives, one Musa Zainuddin (PKB). Musa is one of the dozens of convicts in the Trans-Seram corruption case. Musa was previously sentenced to nine years in prison, but Musa only needs to serve six years with the recent Supreme Court decision. This decision adds to the length of the list of Supreme Court decisions alleviating graft convicts’ punishment.

We know that the current leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) are keen to resolve incomplete cases, among which is the case of corruption in South Solok, West Sumatera. The said case brought down the then regent of South Solok Muzni Zakaria. On Sep. 16, 2020, the prosecutors read their demands for Muzni. Muzni still insists that he is not guilty. 

Over a year ago, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered a bribery case involving Bowo Sidik Pangarso (who at the time was a member of the Commission VI of the House of Representatives representing Golkar). Soon, its investigation uncovered more allegations of crimes. Bowo allegedly received over Rp10 billion in grafts from several parties. On December 4, 2019, Bowo was declared guilty though the trial failed to summon some of the names Bowo mentioned. We had to wait more than half a year before the KPK could complete the docket of the most important suspect in the case: then Director of PT Humpuss Transportasi Kimia (PT HTK) one Taufik Agustono, who is supposedly the mastermind of the case. On Sep. 16, 2020, Taufik’s trial began.

In September 2019, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) uncovered corruption in Muara Enim. It brought down the Regent of Muara Enim one Ahmad Yani (Demokrat) and several other people, including the Chairman of DPRD one Aries HB (PDIP). Ahmad Yani was convicted in May 2020, while the trial of Aries HB has only started recently. The prosecutors read their indictment in the online hearing held on September 14, 2020. The Corruption Court of the Palembang District Court is the institution responsible for examining the case. 

The trial on the corruption in State-owned insurance company PT Asuransi Jiwasraya (Persero) continues. In a hearing held on September 14, 2020, the Court listened to the accounts of three Crown Witnesses.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) entered the year 2020 by conducting a sting operation in Sidoarjo, East Java. It uncovered a case involving the then Regent of Sidoarjo Saiful Ilah (PKB). Six suspects, including Saiful Ilah, were named. The bribers were convicted five months later and, on June 3, 2020, the trial of Saiful began simultaneously with the trial of three other bribees. The Corruption Court of the Surabaya District Court is responsible for examining the cases. By September 14, 2020, the KPK read its demands for the defendants.