REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is reluctant to comment on the endorsement given by the House of Representatives (DPR) to national police chief candidate Commissioner General Budi Gunawan.

"That's the DPR's business. We are only concerned with law enforcement," Deputy Chairman of the KPK Bambang Widjojanto said after meeting with Attorney General H. M. Prasetyo here on Wednesday (14/1).

Widjojanto added that the DPR's task was different from that of the KPK, which has its own duties.

Regarding whether the DPR's endorsement violates ethics, considering the fact that Budi Gunawan (BG) was named as a suspect in an alleged case of corruption, he stated that the commission was not an ethical institution.

Widjojanto, however, confirmed that his side will summon Gunawan for questioning.

Moreover, Chairman of Commission III of the DPR Aziz Syamsuddin revealed that nine political party factions in the parliament approved the appointment of Gunawan as the next police chief.

"After listening to the views expressed by the nine political party factions present at the meeting, we approved the appointment of Budi Gunawan, who was nominated by President Joko Widodo in his letter, by acclamation," Syamsuddin remarked here on Wednesday.

The nine factions agreed to appoint Gunawan as the next police chief to replace current National Police Chief General Sutarman, he noted.

BG expressed his gratitude to Commission III for its approval, and vowed to work hard and devote his services to the public.

Earlier, Gunawan, the sole candidate nominated by the Indonesian president for the post of the national police chief, informed legislators about his commitment to develop an anti-corruption culture in the police force.

On Tuesday, KPK Chairman Abraham Samad pointed out that the sole candidate for the position, Commissioner General Budi Gunawan, was named as a suspect in a case of corruption for allegedly receiving bribes through a suspicious transaction.

Gunawan allegedly violated article 12 (A/B), article 5 (2), and article 11 or 12 (B) of law number 31/1999 juncto law number 20/2001 on corruption eradication juncto article 55 (1) of the Criminal Code.

The articles stipulate that no civil servant or state official should receive gratifications or commitments from any party or individual who is related to a civil servant or holds a state official's post.

Gunawan can be sentenced to four to 20 years in jail and fined between Rp200 million and Rp1 billion if found guilty of violating the articles, Samad explained.

He, however, refused to disclose details of Gunawan's bank balance.

Investigators with the anti-graft body have been looking into BG's track record as a state official since July 2014. They found two credible pieces of evidence on January 12 that helped them further investigate the case, Samad revealed.

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