Anti-graft candidates turn on the water works

Human psychology dictates that a show of someone's human side -- a story of economic hardship, a reference to God's words or shedding some tears -- works wonders to evoke sympathy from others and ultimately win them over.

And it appears candidates for the new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) executive knew that well enough to intersperse it with their presentations, intentionally or not.

The selection team for KPK membership wrapped up the final interviews of the last 26 candidates Wednesday. It will select 10 names and submit them on Sept. 11 to the President, who will forward them to the House of Representatives for further scrutiny.

The lawmakers will pick five candidates to sit on the KPK executive for the 2007-2011 period.

Marwan Effendy, former assistant for special crimes investigation to the chief of the Jakarta Provincial Prosecutors' Office, who worked on the infamous 2004 Bank BNI scam, took the spiritual path, invoking the Holy Koran during his Wednesday interview.

In a high-pitched voice, Marwan cited a verse from the Koran that orders Muslims to abide by the law.

"I'd work based on the law that requires substantial evidence in order to process a case," he said, adding that he regularly prayed before deciding to prosecute someone.

Another candidate, the director of prosecution for general crimes at the Attorney General's Office, Antasari Azhar, said he always prayed before taking further steps in a case.

"I want to let you know that I always pray before taking an investigation further, to shake off the pressure," he said.

Candidate Ahmad Helmi, a State Financial Comptroller Agency (BPKP) auditor, was comfortable enough to share his financial situation by admitting he did not own a car and mentioning his wife had to work to help make ends meet.

"I only accept money from clients in a very tolerable amount, such as for transport, since I don't earn much," he said in an attempt to show his resistance to high-scaled bribes.

M. Yasin, currently the director of research at the KPK, also used God's name in his presentation.

"I swear before God I've never colluded," he said when asked if he had ever accepted bribes during appraisals of the assets of state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina, allegedly a hotbed of corruption.

State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Director Saut Situmorang seemed to have no problem with showing his emotions, fighting back tears during his speech.

"I know (BIN agents) well and they've been wrongly portrayed," he said, with tears welling in his eyes, in answer to questioning about how a BIN agent would fit into working at the KPK.

Journalists and observers watching the interview relayed in another room reacted with skepticism to some of the candidates' expressions of religiosity.

"I hope it wasn't just an act. I was moved a bit though," said a member of the selection team, who asked not to be named.