"Now they have certain obligations to carry out their tasks as ministers. If they commit a corruption crime, we will arrest them. And their arrests will have no connection with the verification process," Johan Budi said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - There is no guarantee that President Joko Widodos cabinet ministers will be free of corruption, spokesman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Johan Budi has said.

"Since the beginning, the KPK has never guaranteed that a minister who has not been given any red mark in his verification report will not commit corruption. It is possible that a minister who has no red mark will become corrupt later. On the other hand, a minister who has been given a red mark (by the KPK) might not commit the crime," KPK Spokesman Johan Budi said here on Monday.

On Sunday, President Jokowi announced the 34 ministers who will assist him in the coming five years. Twenty ministers are with professional backgrounds while 14 belong to different political parties.

"Now they have certain obligations to carry out their tasks as ministers. If they commit a corruption crime, we will arrest them. And their arrests will have no connection with the verification process," Johan added.

He stressed he had no knowledge about any prospective minister who were given negative marking by the KPK but still managed to find place in the Presidents cabinet lineup.

"I do not know whether any prospective minister announced and appointed as ministers yesterday has received any record from the KPK. Only the KPK leaders will know about that. This information was not shared with us (KPK officials)," Johan stated.

Before he announced his cabinet lineup, Jokowi had submitted 43 names of prospective ministers to the KPK for background checks.

The KPK in its report gave yellow and red marks to prospective ministers who had the potential to be involved in legal or corruption cases.

Jokowi had to replace eight prospective ministers following KPKs scrutiny.

Johan remarked that the KPK had fulfilled its tasks with regard to the Presidents request (to examine his prospective ministers track records).

"The KPK has finished its tasks, it is up to the President to appoint his ministers based on his prerogative rights," the KPK spokesman noted.

President Jokowi administered the oaths of office to his ministers on Monday.

The inauguration of 30 ministers and four coordinating ministers was attended by First Lady Iriana Jokowi, wife of Vice-President Mufidah Jusuf Kalla, Chairman of the House of Representatives Setya Novanto, Chairman of the Regional Representative Council Irman Gusman, Chairman of the Peoples Consultative Assembly Zulkifli Hassan, Chairman of the Constitutional Court Hamdan Zoelva, and other high-ranking government officials.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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