High-Tech Den Will Keep SBY on Top of the Situation

Jakarta Globe, July 13, 2010, Camelia Pasandaran & Markus Junianto Sihaloho

Determined to keep abreast of affairs throughout the country, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyon has installed a 'situation room' at the Presidential Palace. (Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Just days after an assessment showing that about a quarter of his ministers have missed their performance targets, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday launched a “situation room” to keep an even closer eye on their work.

“I often tell you that running the government in our country should be based on a credible system and management,” Yudhoyono said during a test run of the Rp 8 billion [$880,000] “situation room” at the Presidential Palace.

The room features several big screens that can display the progress of government programs using the Geographic Information System and a real-time map.

Yudhoyono said that the facilities would help the government monitor and speed up its priority programs. They would also help leaders address problem quickly by providing continuous, updated monitoring.

“A decision maker should be able to make decisions day or night, whether at the location or during local or foreign trips,” Yudhoyono said. “A president will be able to make decisions while traveling here or in foreign countries.

“The wheels of the government should not stop moving due to the location of the president, vice president, ministers, governors or district heads.”

Yudhoyono asked Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the Presidential Working Unit for Development Supervision and Control (UKP4), to record details of certain issues to serve as the basis for government policies and programs.

He said all government officials must truly report what happens in the field.

“We have to convince all regional and district officials that what they report to the president is truly what has been implemented in the field,” Yudhoyono said, adding that the system would show any discrepancy.

“In here, we need good government ethics, accountability for what has been carried out by all of us,” he said.

He also wanted cabinet members to monitor their own areas of responsibility.

In other news, a senior Golkar Party official said the president should use the poor results of the recent six-month evaluation of cabinet members as a basis for reshuffling the body.

Priyo Budi Santoso, Golkar’s leader in the House of Representatives, said Yudhoyono should not hesitate to rearrange his cabinet.

“If the performance is really bad, then the president has to follow it up,” he said. “A reshuffle could be done without having to give much consideration to its political effect.”

The evaluation focused on 14 criteria, including bureaucratic reform, good governance, poverty alleviation, food security, infrastructure, the business and investment climate, energy and the environment.

The secretary general of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Taufik Kurniawan, said the results of the evaluation should have no bearing on possibly reconstituting the cabinet, and called on the UKP4 to explain its findings and the methods used.

“If the red marks were due to not fulfilling the president’s targets or an inability to communicate with the House in the best way, then it should not be a problem,” he said.

“But if the red marks were the result of a minister’s inability to implement the government’s programs because there was no funding for them, then the evaluation is too subjective.”

Taufik added that the evaluation should not be politicized by parties for their own interest.

“Let’s remember that reshuffling is the president’s prerogative,” he said.

Kuntoro did not provide detailed information about the evaluation but revealed that Minister of Communications and Information Technology Tifatul Sembiring, Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar and Minister of Public Works Joko Kirmanto were among those receiving a failing grade.

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SBY switches on Indonesia’s state-of-the-art mission control

SBY calls for continuing fight against corruption

Antara News, Sunday, July 11, 2010 02:43 WIB

Intensive care: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (second left) visits Tama S. Langkun, an Indonesia Corruption Watch activist, at Asih Hospital in Warung Buncit, South Jakarta, on Saturday. (Courtesy of the Presidential Office/Abror Rizki)

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for the continuation of fight against corruption despite the risks it may bring to the safety of anti-corruption activists.

"Whatever the threats, challenges and obstacles faced by those carrying out anti-corruption tasks, this great mission must continue," he said her Saturday after visiting an activist of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Tama S Langkun, who is being treated at Asri Hospital for wounds inflicted on him by unknown assailants recently.

Tama is one of the ICW activists often disclosing alleged corruption in various government offices. Recently he was actively encouraging the disclosure of suspicious accounts belonging to several high ranking police officers.

Early on Thursday, on his way to his office, he was stopped and beaten up by several people causing him to suffer wounds that required treatment in hospial.

The head of state said the fight against corruption was a noble activity useful to realize good governance.

On the occasion, the President also expressed hope that all parties would cooperate to unveil any unlawful practice or behavior.

He called on all law enforcement insitutions such as the police, the prosecutor`s office, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Supreme Court and other offices concerned to prioritize cooperation and avoid stifling each other`s efforts.

"(They) must work together and synergize," he said.

President Yudhoyono said all cases must be settled through legal procedures and one of the means to declare one`s innocence or guilt is the court.

"Whether one is right or wrong must be determined through legal procedures," he said.

President Yudhoyono was in the hospital for around 15 minutes in the company of several anti-corruption activists.

Earlier Yudhoyono called on the police to investigate the case. "They must immediately find out who has done it and what is their motive." he said before a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

He said Indonesia is a state that upholds democracy and therefore the government supports freedom of expression and condems any effort to threaten it.

"I have not known who they are but the police will soon find them," he said referring to Tama`s attackers.

President Yudhoyono said it was not impossible that certain parties would make use of the current situation where two differing parties are just seeking the settlement of their dispute.

Besides the attack on the ICW activist President Yudhoyono also called on the police to investigate the molotov bomb attack at the Tempo magazine office recently.

Coordinating minister for political, securty and legal affairs Djoko Suyanto meanwhile condemned the two violent incidents.

"I deplored them and condemned violence," he said.

He also called on the law enforcement agency to find the attackers and punished them according to the law even if they happen to be its members.

"Such an action is not tolerable and must be investigated," he said.

The president`s special staff for legal affairs, Denny Indrayana, shared the condemnation. He however called on the people not to rush to conclude about the identities of the attackers. He called on them to give the police an opportunity to investigate the cases.

Indonesian Corruption Watch investigator Tama Satrya Langkun recovering from his injuries. (Antara Photo)

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East Kalimantan governor named graft suspect

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 07/09/2010 11:02 PM

Attorney General’s Office has named East Kalimantan governor Awang Faroek Ishak a corruption suspect in connection with divestment of coal company PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) which state prosecutors believe has resulted in Rp 576 billion (US$63 million) in state losses.

Assistant Attorney General for Special Crimes M. Amari said Friday that Awang was accused of embezzling state money resulting from sale of 5 percent of KPC shares belonging to East Kutai government to PT Kutai Timur Sejahtera (KTS) worth Rp 576 billion in 2006. As the then East Kutai regent, Awang approved the sale with the consent of the regional legislative council.

State prosecutors also declared local coal company PT Kutai Timur Energy (KTE) president director Anung Nugroho and director Apidian Tri Wahyudi suspects in the case, Antara news agency reported.

 

The case centers on divestment of PT KPC, which required the coal giant to sell 18.6 percent of its shares to the East Kutai government. The regional government handed over its right to PT KTE in 2004, but due to financial constraint, the company transferred the right to PT Bumi Resources in 2005.

Based on an agreement with Bumi, PT KTE was entitled to 5 percent of the KPC shares.

On Aug. 14, 2006, Awang asked for the legislative council’s endorsement of the sale of PT KTE shares in PT KPC to PT KTS.

    

Awang questioned his implication in the corruption case, saying the state prosecutors lacked professionalism.

“I have never been questioned, why do they declare me a suspect all of sudden? This is strange,” Awang said in his speech on Friday evening.

RI`s economy grows 5.8 pct in first semester: minister

Antara News, Friday, July 9, 2010 02:06 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said the domestic economy grew 5.8 percent in the first half of this year.

"Our economic growth in the first semester is 5.8 percent," he said after attending a plenary cabinet meeting at the presidential office here on Thursday.

He predicted the economy would expand 6 percent in the second semester of 2010.

"Judging by the first-semester growth we predict the full-year economic growth will reach 5.9 percent. But it is not yet final. It can reach 6 percent in the second semester," he said.

He said positive signals of high growth in the second semester had been there.

Asked if the IMF`s upward forecast of global economic growth rate to 4.6 percent from 4.2 percent previously would have a positive impact on the national economy, he said he had no idea about that.

Bank Indonesia, the central bank, said the national economy may grow by 6 percent this year thanks to the positive global and domestic economic developments in the second half of 2010.

The central bank also has predicted the national economy to expand by a range of 6-6.5 percent in 2011.

Yudhoyono Orders Investigation into Tempo Attack, Activist Beating Cases

Jakarta Globe, July 08, 2010, Camelia Pasandaran

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gestures as he addresses policemen during a ceremony to celebrate the 64th police anniversary in Jakarta on Tuesday. The president has ordered investigations into the attempted arson of Tempo magazine's editorial office and the savage beating of a prominent antigraft activist. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday demanded police find out who was behind the Molotov cocktail attack on the editorial offices of Tempo magazine and the brutal beating of a prominent antigraft activist.

Yudhoyono said he had been following both incidents in the mass media.

He said it was important “to be very responsive” and find the perpetrators behind the attacks.

“I want it to be found out on who did it and with what motive,” Yudhoyono said.

Police have been forced to deny that they were in any way involved in the Tempo attack early on Tuesday morning and the violent beating of Indonesian Corruption Watch investigator Tama Satrya Langkun early this morning.

Tama featured prominently in an ICW investigation into millions of dollars stashed in the bank accounts of a number of police generals, while Tempo named the generals in question.

Yudhoyono — who has failed to make any recent inroads in the battle against corruption despite previously claiming it was his number one priority — however, appeared to attempt to deflect criticism from the badly tarnished police force by stating that he believed a third party could be attempting to take advantage of the situation.

“It is very possible that when two parties have differences and want to solve their problems, there’s another party,” he said. “For that reason, let’s put everything in its place, uncover what really happened, so there will not be issues, rumors and wild analysis.”

Yudhoyono said that it was government policy to build good governance, eradicate corruption, respect human rights and build democracy.

“For that reason, if something is wrong, we should take the appropriate measures,” he said. “I don’t know yet who did it, but the police, God willing, will soon find out and save everything.”

On Tuesday, Yudhoyono, who has acknowledged that since 2005 police have been Indonesia's most criticized government institution, urged police to investigate the generals and sanction them if they are found to have broken the law.

The police have so far failed — or refused — to act.

The National Police and Tempo, meanwhile, say they have begun to heal their rift after police threatened to sue the magazine for using the images of piggy banks on the front cover of last week’s issue on indications of massive police corruption.

Both parties signed a four-point agreement for the Press Council to mediate their differences.

SBY Demands Probe of Police Bank Balances

Jakarta Globe, July 06, 2010, Abe Silangit, Ismira Lutfia & Markus Junianto Sihaloho

The president, in this file photo, has ordered a probe into police bank accounts and has called for order between Tempo magazine and police. (SP Photo)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday stepped into the fray between the police and Tempo magazine, ordering the National Police chief to investigate the publication’s report that some police generals had suspiciously large bank accounts.

The president, speaking before a cabinet meeting, said he had received numerous messages from the public questioning how police officials could have amassed such wealth — allegedly as much as Rp 95 billion ($10.5 million) in one case — and asking him to step in.

“Please respond to this issue, resolve it and manage it well,” Yudhoyono said in his instructions to Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri. “If there are legal violations, impose sanctions. If you don’t, explain why.”

The explosive report was carried in last week’s edition of Tempo, which the police are now pursuing for alleged defamation — not because of the story but because of the caricature on the cover, which depicts an officer leading three piggy banks.

Police say the portrayal is an insult to the force.

According to the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Djoko Suyanto, Bambang should use his right of reply to respond to Tempo’s allegations and report the matter to the Press Council.

Bambang later said he would soon respond to the accusations outlined by the magazine.

The police on Thursday filed a complaint to the Press Council over Tempo’s cover, but did not object to the story itself.

“I have also formed my own team to investigate the accounts,” Bambang said. “I promise I shall announce the results to the public next week. We will take necessary action if violations are found. If they are not found, we will also announce the results.”

The allegations against the police officials stem from a Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) document unearthed by Indonesia Corruption Watch, the publication of which the police have stressed is illegal.

Bambang warned against drawing hasty conclusions from the report, which has not only triggered an outcry from the general public but also from political and community leaders.

Press Council chairman Bagir Manan said on Monday that the council had scheduled a conciliation meeting between Tempo and the National Police for Thursday. “We have to thank the police for taking this initiative,” he said.

Agus Sudibyo, head of public complaints at the council, said that Thursday’s meeting would be to mediate a resolution.

“We will also examine whether Tempo breached the code of ethics,” he said. “Even if the two parties settle this amicably, Tempo still has to apologize to the police should we find any infringements to the code of ethics in their cover story.”

Wahyu Muryadi, Tempo’s editor-in-chief, told the Jakarta Globe that the ball was now in the National Police’s court, “because they are the party who think that there is a problem.”

Sidharto Danusubroto, an executive board member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said investigators should also check whether the police officials with the large bank accounts had paid the appropriate taxes.

“Check their wealth reports,” he said. “Those who have such exorbitant amounts of money must pay more taxes. Both the tax office and the police should look into the possibility of tax fraud.”

TB Hasanuddin, a PDI-P lawmaker and former military general, said that with police generals earning up to Rp 15 million a month, “the money they allegedly have in those private accounts needs to be investigated.”

National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri. Police have asked the public not to jump to conclusions and believe that they were involved in the attack on a corruption investigator. (JG Photo/ Afriadi Hikmal)

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Corruption investigator Tama Satrya Langkun, pictured on the right with his girlfriend, is in a stable condition in hospital after a brutal beating in Jakarta overnight. (Photo sourced from Facebook)

KPK still studying suspicious police officers` accounts

KPK studying report on police generals` huge bank accounts

President orders police to continue probes into tax fraud cases

President to check tax office`s reform effort

Antara News, Monday, July 5, 2010 19:25 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he would soon visit the finance ministry`s taxation directorate general to check to what extent the agency had implemented its bureaucratic reform commitment.

The head of state made the statement before starting a limited cabinet meeting at his office here Monday.

"I plan to visit the tax directorate general`s office to hear personally how it is doing in meeting its reform commitment," he said.

"I want to hear about something like a contract to see to it that from now on, no more tax criminal cases will happen there," he said.

The President pointed out that tax revenues as the state`s biggest income need to remain secure so that the government`s efforts to reduce its dependency on foreign debts could be achieved.

"Please check the tax revenues. We are attempting to minimize our foreign debts and our debt ratio to the state`s income," he said.

The tax reform was one of the important components that need to be maintained to enable the government to reduce its dependence on foreign debts, he said.

The tax directorate general office has been under the spotlight since the revelation of rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan`s case.

Tambunan was accused of having suspicious Rp25 billion bank account in his name.

At least 12 middle ranking officials of the Indonesian finance ministry were allegedly involved in tax brokering cases.

In connection with Gayus Tambunan`s case, the police had arrested at least eight suspects.

In other parts of his address, President Yudhoyono also touched on the need to halt deficit in the state budget so that the state budget posture would remain healthy.

Therefore, maintaining the secure inflation rate was necessary despite the country`s sound macro-economy, he said.

President Yudhoyono also asked his cabinet members to secure the affordable prices of staple foods.

About the 13th salary of civil servants, President Yudhoyono said he wanted it to be immediately paid to enable them to meet their basic needs.

Govt to develop tourism in 200 villages

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 07/03/2010 6:17 PM

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has selected 200 villages across the country as recipients of community empowerment fund (PNPM) in a bid to develop tourism there.

Director of Community Empowerment at the ministry, Bakri, said on Saturday each village in Java would receive between Rp 65 million (US$7,140) and Rp 70 million, while those outside Java would earn between Rp 85 million and Rp 90 million each.

The ministry expected the fund to help people in the villages develop tourism industry as a source of income.

Borobudur village near the world’s largest Buddhist temple in the Central Java regency of Magelang is a success story of the program, he said.

“People in the village were scavengers who lived under the poverty line. But now after their village has turned into a tourist area, many tourists visit there, creating many jobs related to tourism,” Bakri told Antara news agency.

The ministry only initiated the program last year, with 104 villages receiving the empowerment fund. The fund will be channeled to 450 villages next year, according to Bakri.

Students want graft suspects detained

The Jakarta Post, Mataram | Fri, 07/02/2010 9:43 AM

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Dozens of students coming from the Dompu Awareness Students Association staged a protest outside the Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, demanding the authority arrest two suspects in an alleged graft case in a 2007 tap water piping project worth Rp 7.5 billion (US$ 826,000).

“The Prosecutor’s Office has named the suspects but it has yet to detain them,” said the protest’s coordinator, Abas.

The graft case has been reported to Dompu Prosecutor’s Office since 2008 but the progress has been slow. The provincial prosecutor’s office took over the case last year but the progress remains at the same pace.

The students met with the Prosecutor’s Office legal and public relations division chief, Sugiyanta.

“The investigation is ongoing and we just completed checking physical evidence of the [water piping project] construction with a team of experts,” he said. — JP

Editorial: Elected on good governance

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 07/02/2010 9:16 AM

The direct elections of regional chiefs (regents and mayors), introduced immediately after the launching of regional autonomy in 2001, has produced a positive trend that will contribute greatly to the development of good governance and the nurturing of regional leaders.

If during the initial implementation of direct elections, money still served as one of the most influential factors in gaining votes, good governance and economic performance have of late become the most determinant factor as voters become more reasonable and intelligent.

 In several second-level regions (regencies and cities), where regional autonomy is anchored, regents or mayors, who were re-elected with more than 90 percent of the vote, shared the same hallmarks: They are leaders well known for their honesty, good governance and good communication with the people through a participatory process in planning and implementing development programs.

Take for example Joko Widodo, the mayor of Surakarta in Central Java, who was re-elected in May by almost 91 percent of voters; Herman Deru, the regent of East Ogan Komering Ulu in South Sumatra by 95 percent and Herman Soetrisno, the regent of Banjar in West Java, by 92 percent. This list could expand if simple majority wins were included.

 True, the number of regional chiefs with such strong legitimacy is still rather negligible, compared to the estimated 500 second-level regions throughout the country. But they could still serve as the catalyst.

  These leaders are quite popular not because of their generosity with money during the election. They are loved by the people because of their integrity and unusually great patience in nurturing genuine communication with the people and enhancing people’s participation in planning and implementing development programs. This process isn’t easy, given the widely different ability of the various groups of people to articulate their aspirations or needs.

Many economists call the process bottom-up planning. But whatever the jargon is, this participatory process enables them to gain a full understanding of the priorities or the needs of the various segments of the people.            

    

 Yet more importantly is that as their popularity increases, their political communication with the local legislative councils also become more effective, thereby enabling them to arrange budget appropriations for the programs decided through the participatory process.  

  The popularly elected leaders also share another common record: The local economy performed well under their administration. This is the result of their full understanding of the role of businesses (investment), as can be seen in their pro-business policies and investor-friendly regional bylaws.

 This is simply rational because it is private investment that creates jobs, which in turn generates purchasing power to spur consumer demand for various goods and services from which local administrations can raise levies.

  But the emergence of good regional leaders isn’t the only fruit of the decentralization process. There are many other positive developments resulting from the decentralization and direct elections of regional chiefs, which all boil down to good governance.       

Fifteen districts and municipalities have passed local regulations (bylaws) on transparency and participation that spell out citizens’ rights to obtain information and participate in the development of their regions.

Many more regency administrations have introduced one-stop licensing centers for businesses and on-line administrations for particular public services.

We are confident this virtuous development will continue to expand to more regencies and cities.

Web Graft Suspect Yusril Causes Scene With Walkout

Jakarta Globe, Heru Andriyanto, July 01, 2010

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, left, shows his frustration as his questioning at Attorney General’s Office came to a dramatic end on Thursday when the former justice minister walked out on prosecutors. (Antara Photo/Rosa Panggabean)

The high-profile questioning of graft suspect Yusril Ihza Mahendra at the Attorney General’s Office came to a dramatic end on Thursday when the former justice minister walked out on prosecutors and then lashed out at security guards who attempted to prevent him from leaving.

The other suspect due for questioning on Thursday over a Rp 410 billion ($45 million) graft case involving a business registration Web site at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, tycoon Hartono Tanoesoedibjo, did not appear at all.

Hartono is believed to be in the Taiwan capital, Taipei.

Yusril asked that the questioning be postponed until today, before walking out of the meeting.

But security guards blocked his car from leaving the building and then locked an outer gate when he attempted to leave on foot.

“What is it all about? I’m a guest here and you can’t treat me like this,” an angry Yusril shouted at the guards.

The former justice minister was then forced to call the AGO’s deputy for special crimes, Muhammad Amari, for permission to leave.

“The questioning had not started but he walked away just like that, so that’s why we prevented him from leaving,” Amari told reporters after the incident.

“Yusril explained that he was not ready for the interrogation and asked for a second summons. I understood that he didn’t intend to flee.”

Asked about Hartono, Amari said if the tycoon continued to ignore summonses to appear for questioning, he would be declared a fugitive. “If he doesn’t return [to Indonesia], we will hunt him down,” he said.

However, Hotman Paris Hutapea, a lawyer for Hartono, did appear on Thursday and asked the AGO for a one-week stay for his client, who he said was in Singapore for medical treatment.

But his claim was inconsistent with information provided by the immigration office, which stated that Hartono had been in Taipei for more than a week.

“Our records show that Hartono Tanoesoedibjo left for Taipei at 5:04 a.m. on June 24, while the travel ban request [for him] arrived a day later,” said Maroloan Jonas Barimbing, a spokesman for the immigration office, which is under the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.

He said the office could not freeze Hartono’s passport while he was still in a foreign country.

Yusril is accused of illegally appointing PT Sarana Rekatama Dinamika as the sole provider of a ministry Web site that allowed corporate clients to register with the government online.

Investigators allege that the company received 90 percent of the Web site’s revenue while the ministry pocketed the remaining 10 percent.

Hartono, who set up Sarana, has been named a suspect for allegedly embezzling revenue that should have been deposited in state coffers as non-tax revenue.

According to the AGO, which launched the probe in October 2008, the graft case cost the country at least Rp 410 billion.

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ICW to report Education Minister to President

Antara News, Thursday, July 1, 2010 18:36 WIB

Purwokerto, C Java (ANTARA News) - Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) will report National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono fallowing mismanagement of "Block Grant" funds for the pioneering of international standard schools.

"In the near future we will report the national education minister to President Yudhoyono," ICW senior observer Febri Hendri said here on Thursday.

According to him, ICW has sent a letter to the minister and asked for financial report about the "Block Grant" funds management for the pioneering of 1,172 international standard schools across the country.

Febri said ICW has asked the education minister to deliver the financial report 10 days after receiving the letter from ICW but the 10 days had past and the minister did not give the report.

"The ten days have past but the education minister did not give us the financial report, so we are going to report him to President Yudhoyono soon," Febri said.

He added that the financial report on the pioneering of international standard schools and was part of public information and therefore it should be opened transparently to the public based on Law No.14/2008 about public information transparency.

Businessman jailed for beating photo journalist

Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali | Thu, 07/01/2010 8:29 PM

The Denpasar District Court sentenced on Thursday a businessman to one month in jail term after founding him guilty of an assault that prevented a photographer with a local daily from conducting his journalistic work.

Judges hearing the case said Paul Handoko beat Radar Bali daily photographer Miftahudin M. Halim on Jan. 15, 2009 as the latter was covering the hand-over of the businessman’s case file in connection with an attack on a villa in Sanur area from the Bali prosecutor’s office to the Denpasar District Court. Miftahudin hurt his nose as the businessman pushed the photo journalist’s camera.

“The defendant is convicted of obstructing the journalistic work of the victim, which violates the Press Law,” presiding judge Dewa Made Wenten told the hearing.

Prosecutors had sought six months in suspended jail term for the businessman with one year probation.

The panel of judges cited the defendant’s old age and ailing health as the mitigating factors of the verdict, but insisted that he serve the prison term to deter him from repeating the offense.

While the press community hailed the court ruling, Paul said he would appeal the verdict.

The Thinker: Our Neglected Child

Jakarta Globe, Johannes Nugroho, July 01, 2010

Indonesians call their land of birth Ibu Pertiwi, or Motherland. If our democracy were a person, we might thus see her as a 12-year-old adolescent, but one whose legal guardian, the state, has so far proved a sorry caretaker. Instead of living well with the promise of a great future ahead of her, our 12-year-old is frightened, on the run for her life from the forces that seek her destruction. The most urgent question is where she can find refuge.

Can she turn to the National Police, the same agency whose top generals, as Tempo magazine reported in its latest issue, have allegedly accrued millions of dollars in their bank accounts?

Adding intrigue to the drama was the fact that 30,000 copies of the magazine were instantly snatched up in mysterious fashion as they hit the newsstands, as if to prevent the public from reading them.

As law enforcers, police officers are hardly impartial. As lawmaker Ribka Tjiptaning Proletariati recently revealed, they sided with members of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) during a raid on a meeting that was discussing health care in Banyuwangi, East Java.

Instead of upholding the law, the police are helping thugs intimidate citizens.

Even top whistle-blower Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, who recently attempted to expose corruption within the force, seems to be in possession of wealth impossible to accumulate from his police salary alone.

But then Susno’s betrayal of his colleagues only came about after the top brass tried to throw him to the wolves.

Thus his plain-speaking might better be seen as revenge rather than a noble service.

Since the rule of law represents nourishment for our democracy, it is becoming increasingly clear that corruption is behind antidemocratic forces. If so, our thoroughly corrupt police force is no safe haven.

Regrettably, neither is the judicial system.

It is surprising that Indonesian judges and lawyers can hold their heads up in a courtroom considering the number of “transactions” and “fixes” that take place.

Despite promises by the attorney general to combat the judicial mafia, the number of recently exposed cases involving his subordinates only confirms the long-held suspicion that our court system is rotten to the core.

So what of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)?

After a brief period of breakthroughs, the “superbody” has tragically become a nobody.

Last year’s concerted political and legal attacks on the KPK have succeeded in putting fear into the hearts of its leaders.

Can Indonesian democracy then turn to our legislature for protection? The answer is ambivalent at best. While embodying the principle of democracy as the representative of the people, our legislature is thoroughly vested with interests to maintain power.

The latest stunt was the proposal by the Golkar Party for an allocation of Rp 15 billion ($1.6 million) for each member of the House of Representatives to spend in his or her constituency.

Unsatisfied with merely being the legislative branch of government, the move’s proponents signal a wish to try grabbing an executive function while garnering popularity.

When the executive appeared to be allergic to the proposal, Golkar played the devil’s advocate by pushing for a direct grant to each village in the country.

The other factions within the House rejected the proposal, but when they realized its popular appeal, they tried hard to convince the public that they had proposed similar schemes in the past.

To add insult to injury, the most noteworthy legislation that the lawmakers have passed this year is the Rp 1.8 trillion they allocated to construct for themselves a new building to replace the existing one, deemed to be too small and structurally unsound, among other things.

At the top of the tree, the president and his cabinet seem to be intent on maintaining a facade that everything is smooth sailing in the republic.

Never mind the stultifying rampage of corruption and collusion within the state itself, quite undiminished since the days of Suharto.

Never mind the trampled rights of powerless minority groups as long as the vocal and the violent are appeased.

The whole attitude of the government appears to be that everything will be resolved in the fullness of time without realizing that not much is being done toward such a lofty goal.

Out of such a bleak and seemingly hopeless picture emerges a glimmer of light in the form of the media and the Internet.

In short, the defense of our 12-year -old is left in the hands of the freedom of press.

As long as this freedom remains, our hope is rekindled.

As Tempo’s latest issue clearly illustrates, the press is the only force with enough courage, conscience and interest to see democracy flourish.

Johannes Nugroho is a writer based in Surabaya.