Q+A-Indonesia's corruption agency under fire?
JAKARTA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia's anti-corruption agency, which has been at the forefront of the country's fight against endemic graft, appears to be coming under increasing attack from other law enforcement agencies.
The agency, known by its Indonesian acronym KPK, has investigated scores of officials from the central bank, attorney-general's office, parliament, ministries, customs department and private sector, many of whom were subsequently jailed, and has made plenty of enemies as a result of its work.
Here are some questions and answers about the KPK:
WHO IS GOING AFTER THE KPK?
In recent weeks, the police have privately hinted to reporters that they are planning to detain one or more senior officials from the KPK, citing their inappropriate use of wire-taps and instances of corruption.
The police have been informing members of the media which officials they plan to detain for questioning. Some anti-corruption analysts said this is intended to undermine the KPK and its investigations.
WHY WOULD THE POLICE WANT TO UNDERMINE THE KPK?
There's not much love lost between the two.
The KPK is pretty widely respected by the public because of its successes in investigating corrupt officials in a country that regularly ranks among the most corrupt in the world.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wants to stamp out corruption in order to attract much-needed foreign investment, and the KPK's work almost certainly helped his re-election last month.
The police, by contrast, have a reputation for being one of the most corrupt public institutions, albeit in a crowded field.
Local media reported recently that the KPK had tapped several telephones as part of an investigation into a local bank, and that one of the telephone calls recorded was of a very senior police officer demanding a large bribe from a bank official in exchange for dropping the case.
The police officer concerned denied the allegations, according to an Indonesian magazine.
WHO ELSE IS GUNNING FOR THE KPK ?
Former KPK officials said another reason why the police appear keen to go after the KPK is connected to a high-profile murder investigation.
Antasari Azhar, the head of the KPK, was detained by police in May as a suspect in a murder investigation, which allegedly involved a love triangle between Azhar, a director of a state-owned company, and a golf caddy.
Azhar has not been formally charged but remains in detention. Some officials said Azhar has given information to the police about possible corruption within the KPK, which could potentially undermine the KPK. Neither Azhar or his lawyers could immediately be reached for comment.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE KPK AND THE FIGHT AGAINST GRAFT?
KPK officials said they are innocent and that they will continue their investigations.
If Azhar is formally charged as a murder suspect, his post as head of the KPK will be advertised.
Anti-corruption activists are concerned about parliament's delays in passing legislation to extend the lifespan of the Corruption Court, which tries the cases prepared by the KPK and uses three ad hoc, or outside, judges out of the total of five on the panel.
In a country where the judiciary itself is rated among the most corrupt institutions, these outsiders are considered more independent.
President Yudhoyono has said that he will issue a government regulation in lieu of law to extend the court's life if parliament does not pass the legislation by the end of this year.
Without the corruption court, which has had a 100 percent success rate, the KPK will become toothless.
However, last month, vice president-designate Boediono said that the KPK would continue to play a key role in the government's fight against graft.
