Watchdog questions Indonesia's commitment to fighting corruption

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A corruption watchdog and House of Representatives legislators have questioned Indonesia's commitment to fighting rampant corruption, which they say has affected the majority of the population's economic livelihoods.

The Indonesian Corruption Watchdog (ICW) said Indonesia had yet to achieve significant progress in its hunt for individuals involved in corruption and stolen state assets, while no preventive measures had been taken to curb corruption.

"Major corruption cases, which allegedly involve former president Soeharto and others, are still unresolved and corruption trials have had little impact on public officials, who continue to abuse their power since no corruptors have been given a maximum punishment," ICW coordinator Teten Masduki told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He said Indonesia should learn from China, which has imposed harsh penalties, including the death sentence, on those involved in major corruption cases.

Teten said Indonesia, which ratified the UN anticorruption convention last year, should enhance cooperation with the world body and the World Bank (WB) to recover stolen state assets.

He said the ICW had identified a significant number of major graft cases, worth hundreds of trillions of rupiah, which are still unresolved. He added if the stolen state assets were recovered, the amount would be enough to create job opportunities to eradicate poverty and to help cope with the unemployment problem.

He said it would be more effective for Indonesia to enhance cooperation with international institutions to recover the stolen assets rather than establish extradition treaties with other countries to bring home corruption fugitives.

"But it is more important to take preventive actions in order to eliminate corruption altogether," he said.

ICW also called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the House of Representatives to reform the judicial system, particularly the Supreme Court, to phase out the impression that the country was a safe haven for those involved in corruption.

"The Supreme Court's rejection of an audit and its recent controversial verdict to punish Time magazine and pay Rp 1 trillion to Soeharto have amplified the impression that the (country's) judicial system is corrupt," Teten said.

Maruarar Sirait, a member of House Commission XI on finance and banking affairs, said his commission had recommended the government join the UN and the WB initiative to recover stolen state assets believed to have been transferred to certain foreign countries.

"If the government is truly committed to fighting corruption, it should start by joining the UN and the WB initiative to trace state assets stolen by Soeharto," he said.

Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly, a member of House Commission III on law, said his commission had recommended the government design a grand strategy to handle the number of big corruption cases, with clear job descriptions for the Anticorruption Commission (KPK), the Attorney General's Office and the National Police.

"So far, no policy has been introduced to indicate which corruption case should be entrusted to which of the three institutions," he said.