Detention centre workers of the Corruption Eradication Commission named as suspects in a bribery case (in orange vests) are escorted on March 15, 2024 to a press briefing at the antigraft body’s Jakarta headquarters. - Antara
JAKARTA: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named 15 employees at its detention centres as suspects for allegedly extorting detainees between 2019 and 2023, finalising its fall from grace after a spate of scandals over the past year, including the removal of its head Firli Bahuri in November over extortion charges.
At a press briefing on Friday, KPK deputy chair Nurul Ghufron said the commission had launched a parallel investigation into dozens of detention centre employees over alleged corruption.
The probe was opened after the KPK Supervisory Council found 78 detention centre workers guilty of disciplinary code violations for collecting illicit fees from detainees in exchange for illegal services, such as smuggling cash or communication devices into their cells.
The council ordered the 78 prison employees to deliver a public apology en masse in front of the commission’s leadership last month and recommended the KPK secretariat-general to launch a follow-up investigation into the incident.
The antigraft body’s law enforcement unit has also opened a separate criminal investigation, aiming to prosecute the employees on corruption charges.
“The law enforcement deputy has named 15 individuals as suspects for allegedly pressuring [detainees] to provide [kickbacks],” Nurul said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
