Police, Anti-Graft Commission Sign Anti-Bribery MOU

Jakarta, Aug 19 (Antara) - The National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here on Tuesday, which will enable the latter to raise awareness about anti-bribery principles among police personnel. "Some police personnel are still unaware of the principles of gratification and corruption. If the police already understand anti-corruption principles, it will become easier to implement other steps that can prevent and reduce corruption," KPK Chief Abraham Samad remarked after the MoU signing ceremony at the National Police`s building. Abraham cited an example that if someone receives bribe money and does not report it to the police or other authorities within 30 days then the receiver and the giver can be charged under criminal law. In the meantime, Chief of the National Police General Sutarman was optimistic that all police personnel will not accept any forms of bribe. "For example, if a police officer is holding a wedding party then he or she must put the sign `No Gifts` on the invitation card and in front of the venue," Sutarman noted. The KPK is currently raising awareness on the need for anti-bribery efforts among its officials at government institutions. It is an effort to promote awareness among government officials about anti-bribery as stated in Regulation Number 31/1999 and Regulation Number 20/2001 on the eradication of corruption. As per the regulations, a government official will be considered guilty if he or she accepts gifts in exchange for using his or her influence in the government. KPK Deputy Chairman Zulkarnain noted that the number of reports of people allegedly receiving illegal gratification money hit a record high this year or the highest in the last 10 years. Zulkarnain noted that the KPK received 1.3 thousand reports of people allegedly accepting illegal gratification money in 2013, involving lawmakers and officials of government agencies, state companies, and independent bodies.