Jokowi Appoints Anti-Graft Activist as Chief of Staff

Jakarta Globe, Novy Lumanauw, September 2, 2015

Teten Masduki has been inaugurated as President Joko Widodo's chief of
staff. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo on Wednesday installed his spokesman as his chief of staff in an inauguration ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta.

Teten Masduki, an anti-corruption activist and former lawyer, replaces Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan who now serves as the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal and Human Rights.

"I will do my best in this new position... I'll consult with the president about what he expects from the chief of staff in the future," Teten told reporters after the inauguration ceremony.

Born in Garut, West Java, in May 1963, Teten's profile emerged as chairman of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), one of the country's prominent anti-corruption watchdogs.

In 2013, Teten announced his decision to run as deputy governor with politician Rieke Diah Pitaloka in the West Java election with the support from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

ICW Calls for Scrutiny Over ‘Corruption-Prone’ Agriculture Ministry

‘Monitor It Closely’: Indonesia Corruption Watch says the government department is particularly prone to graft

Jakarta Globe, Yustinus Paat, Nov 03, 2014

The Ministry of Agriculture has had a number of graft allegations leveled

against it over the years. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s most prominent corruption watchdog has called for close scrutiny over the “corruption-prone” Ministry of Agriculture, citing its mounting suspected involvements in numerous graft cases.

“We think that the Agriculture Ministry is one of the ministries that must be closely monitored,” Emerson Yuntho, Indonesia Corruption Watch’s legal and justice monitoring coordinator, said on Sunday. “There have been many corruption cases at the Agriculture Ministry; it is prone to corruption.”

The ICW cited a number of corruption cases proven to have involved or allegedly involving the ministry.

The most recent case is a graft-ridden procurement of coffee beans in 2012. Hadi SP, the ministry’s head of the herb and refresher cultivation division, has been named a suspect in the case estimated to cost the state Rp 12 billion ($1 million).

Former agriculture minister Suswono was also allegedly involved in a beef-import graft scandal last year that has sent Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, a former president of his party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), to 16 years in prison.

Suswono was allegedly in charge of awarding the beef import tenders, although he has yet to be named a suspect in the case.

The ministry was also allegedly involved in another graft case concerning the procurement of seed stock by state-owned company Sang Hyang Seri during the 2008-2012 period.

“Corruption in the Agriculture Ministry have been conducted in two ways, namely bribing the minister or other high-ranking officials at the ministry, or corruption in the procurement of goods and services by marking up or down [the budget figures],” Emerson said.

ICW calls on the new minister, Amran Sulaiman, to focus on being a minister and step down from any positions he currently holds in order to avoid any conflict of interest.

Amran is the president director of the Tiran Group, a Makassar-based diversified business group engaging in agricultural, industry, mining and trade sectors.

Suryadharma Ali Resigns from Cabinet to Fight Hajj Graft Charge

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, May 26, 2014

Former Religious Affairs Minister and United Development Party (PPP)
chairman Suryadharma Ali. (JG Photo/Fajrin Raharjo)

Jakarta. Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali resigned from the cabinet on Monday after he was charged by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in relation to alleged impropriety in the country’s $5 billion fund for the hajj pilgrimage.

“Suryadharma Ali has returned the mandate as religious minister back to president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the president has asked Suryadharma to submit a written resignation within a day or two,” State Secretary Sudi Silalahi told a press conference Monday.

Suryadharma met with Yudhoyono at the Istana Bogor in West Java, and Sudi said Yudhoyono had urged Suryadharma to concentrate on mounting his defense against the corruption charges.

Suryadharma has denied all charges against him and insisted that the matter is a misunderstanding.

“The President advised Suryadharma to be strong and be prepared — being made a suspect is not the final say on the matter,” he said.

Suryadharma was named a suspect by KPK on Thursday and was handed a travel ban for six months by the immigration office. He maintains that he has no case to answer and his supporters emphasized the importance of the presumption of innocence, but Yudhoyono said in Manila at the weekend that the business of state could not be jeopardized by the furor surrounding Suryadharma. Yudhoyono’s comments were a clear indication that Suryadharma’s days at the ministry were numbered.

Activists and analysts had repeatedly called for his resignation and urged Suryadharma to follow the example set up by former youth and sports minister, Andi Alfian Mallarangeng, who immediately announced his resignation after he was named a suspect by KPK in the Hambalang sport center graft case.

Indonesia’s hajj fund is a centrally managed account comprising deposits paid by people wishing to go on Islam’s greatest pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims must deposit around $2,000 and sit on a waiting list for between 12 and 17 years.

A general view shows pilgrims performing evening prayers in Mecca’s

 Grand Mosque on October 8, 2013. Indonesia's religious affairs minister has

 been charged with corruption over the alleged misuse of the country's hajj

fund. (AFP Photo)

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Moratorium Demanded on All DPR Construction Projects

Jakarta Globe, Rizky Amelia, January 16, 2012

Indonesia Corruption Watch displays a toilet during a press conference on
Sunday to demand a moratorium on construction works in the House of
Representatives, including the planned Rp 2 billion renovation of lavatories
in one of its buildings. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal). 

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The fallout from a $2.2 million meeting room renovation project at the House of Representatives continued on Sunday as antigraft groups demanded it put down the hammers and open the books.

The Anti-Budget Mafia Coalition, which includes Indonesia Corruption Watch, said the construction projects taking place at the House of Representatives were not as open and transparent as they should be.

It demanded a moratorium on all construction and renovation work and an audit into the projects that had already taken place.

Apung Widadi, from the ICW, said with no one watching over the House on these projects, corruption was more likely. He said the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) needed to take a close look at all the construction projects undertaken or planned for the House.

The group also called on the House Secretariat General and the Household Affairs Committee (BURT) to focus on building a transparent evaluation system for all projects at the legislature.

“While the BURT and the Secretariat General improve their performance, all projects at the DPR should be temporarily frozen, a moratorium imposed,” Apung said.

Coming on the heels of criticism over a Rp 2 billion ($220,000) plan to renovate the toilets at one of the buildings used by lawmakers, the House was found to have spent Rp 20 billion to renovated a relatively small meeting room to be used by the House Budget Committee. The House has already canceled a plan in the face of mounting public criticism to build a luxurious 36-story tower to house lawmakers’ offices.

The tower was originally expected to cost taxpayers Rp 1.8 trillion, but the price went down to Rp 700 billion before the plan was scrapped.

Apung said the coalition had asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate suspicions of graft in some of the House projects.

Indonesia Budget Center researcher Roy Salam did not mince words in talking about the meeting room project.

“This renovation stinks of corruption,” he said.

The tender selection, he said, was held twice, with 13 companies originally eligible to complete but later only state-owned Pembangunan Perumahan deemed eligible.

A second tender yielded three companies, including Pembangunan Perumahan, but the two other firms were dropped due to what were called “incomplete administrative documents.”

Roy said the all the paperwork should have been checked before the tender, not after.

Apung said the leadership of the House was to blame for failing to properly supervise all the institutions within the House, including the secretariat and the BURT.

He said this lack of supervision from the leadership, combined with the lack of transparency at the secretariat, created an atmosphere where corruption could thrive.

Roy added that the secretariat was obliged to publish tender documents. Failure to do so breaks several laws, including the Public Information Openness Law, the Law on State Finance and the Law on the State Treasury.

He said his institution would demand that the contract documents for the latest renovation project be made public.

“This will show just how much the state lost,” he said.

Apung said the Rp 20 billion price tag was too high. “Our estimate is that it should have only cost Rp 500 million,” he said.

Taslim Chaniago, a member of the House Budget Committee from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said on Friday that he was resigning from the committee in protest over the project.

A glimpse of the renovated House of Representatives Budget Committee
 meeting room in Jakarta on Wednesday. The renovation cost Rp 20 billion
($2.2 million) and has been criticized as a lavish expenditure. It comes on
the heels of a House plan for new toilet facilities that would have cost taxpayers
Rp 2 billion. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)     

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ICW to Report Freeport to US Department of Justice

Jakarta Globe, December 15, 2011

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Anti-graft organization Indonesian Corruption Watch will report the subsidiary of US mining giant Freeport-McMoRan to the US Department of Justice next month for involvement in a bribery case.

“We’re drafting the report and we will send it in one or two months,” deputy chairman of ICW Adnan Topan Husodo said during a national seminar on corruption on Thursday.

He said that US law does not allow US companies operating in other countries to take part in bribery.

Human rights group Imparsial revealed that police received $64 million from Freeport between 1995 and 2004. National Police spokesman Gen. Timur Pradopo verified the payments, calling them “lunch money.” Timur promised an audit.

“Even though it is being called a grant from Freeport, it was not supposed to be given to the National Police,” Adnan said. “The security budget should be given to the state budget because the National Police are a government institution funded by the state budget, instead of by a private company.”

Adnan said receiving money outside of the state budget equaled bribery.

“Letting the police receive ‘security payments’ from private institutions will disrupt police independence,” he said.

Antara

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ICW demands PSSI publicize results of audit

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 12/30/2010

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged the Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) to publicize the results of an audit of the association among measures to uphold transparency and accountability.

Citing the freedom of information law, ICW coordinator Emerson Yuntho said ICW would mobilize soccer fans and non-government organizations to demand PSSI reveal the contents of the audit.

“So far the results of the independent audit were only made available to members of the PSSI. We really want the association to be transparent and accountable,” he said.

ICW will also ask the association about the recent sale of tickets to ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup final matches.

“How much did the tickets cost? What factors were taken into account in pricing the tickets?” Emerson asked on Wednesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Busyro Starts Work With Vow to Regenerate KPK in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Heru Andriyanto | December 20, 2010

Jakarta. Incoming antigraft czar Busyro Muqoddas started his first day on the job on Monday with a pledge to tackle problem cases that have led to charges that the country’s fight against corruption has stalled.

KPK Chairman Busyro Muqoddas pledged at his inauguration
to tackle the Gayus Tambunan and Bank Century cases. (JG Photo /
Yudhi Sukma WIjaya)

As he was sworn in at the State Palace by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, however, one question on observers’ minds was whether he could achieve much in a term of just one year.

After the ceremony, a confident Busyro promised that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) would pursue all pending cases thoroughly.

“I envision the KPK, along with the press and other institutions, starting a tradition of transparency,” he said.

“Transparency means honesty. We must respect each institution’s authority, including the KPK’s.”

Also on his agenda, as he agreed in response to a question from a reporter, are the tax scandal involving Gayus Tambunan and the lingering Bank Century bailout mess.

“As long as the evidence is sufficient, we will [investigate]. God willing, I’d like to tell the public that I do not have any political agenda,” he said.

Busyro will have his hands full regaining the people’s trust in a once-respected agency that had seen its last chairman convicted of murder and a number of high-profile cases languish due to an internal leadership crisis.

And unless the rules are changed, he has only a year to get it done before he would have to undergo a new election to his post.

“Busyro has no time for anything else, he must begin work on his first visit to the agency as chairman,” legal expert Todung Mulya Lubis said on Monday.

As a member of the selection committee for the antigraft agency, Todung said he was confident that Busyro had what it took to lead, but he regretted the decision by the House of Representatives to limit Busyro’s tenure to just the remaining term of the sitting commissioners, which will expire next year.

“It’s now up to Busyro. If he can prove that he is a competent leader in just a year, there will be a good chance for him to be re-elected and to lead the agency for a full term of four years,” Todung said.

“He must go directly after the big fish, the high-profile cases that the KPK has avoided so far. I know Busyro has the commitment to combating corruption without fear, so I think he will get the job done.”

Busyro, the former head of the Judicial Commission, could win popularity by meeting public demands for the KPK to take over the tax mafia scandal involving Gayus or the Bank Century bailout saga from police and prosecutors, Todung added.

But taking over either of those complex cases would be hard as legal proceedings have long been under way, with several suspects already convicted and sentenced.

“Besides, handling just the many abandoned cases already facing the KPK might consume more than a year,” Todung said.

Busyro won by a landslide in the head-to-head House selection against human rights activist and renowned lawyer Bambang Widjajanto.

Lawmakers then selected from among the commissioners for the new chairman ­— and again he won a majority of votes over four deputies of the KPK.

“The prospect that Busyro can lead next year’s selection doesn’t make things better,” said Danang Widoyoko, chairman of non-governmental group Indonesia Corruption Watch.

“He will have to prepare application documents again in May or June next year, attend interviews with lawmakers, undergo a health examination and so on. That could significantly reduce his available work hours.”

Also on Monday, ICW filed a motion with the Constitutional Court challenging the House limitation on his term and demanding that Busyro be allowed to serve for four years, through 2014.

“One year is just too short for the massive work facing a KPK leader,” Danang said.

“Let’s say that Busyro would take KPK into the Gayus saga. As police and prosecutors are prosecuting Gayus for bribery and mishandling corporate taxpayers, the KPK could launch a probe into another aspect of the case, namely the source of Gayus’s suspicious bank accounts. This will surely take longer than a year,” Danang added.

Blitar Official Pampers Subordinates Despite KPK Ban

Jakarta Globe, Nivell Rayda | September 20, 2010

Jakarta. An antigraft group has lambasted a district head in East Java for spending Rp 2.4 billion ($278,000) on end-of-Ramadan gift packages for his subordinates.

The hampers are traditionally handed out during Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, and can contain anything from food to clothes to books.

In August, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) issued orders barring all civil servants from accepting any Idul Fitri gift packages because it feared they could be used as a front for bribes.

On Monday, however, corruption watchdog Transparency International Indonesia reported that Blitar district head Herry Noegroho had spent billions on hampers that he handed out to his subordinates.

TII researcher Ilham Saenong said Herry might have misappropriated district funds to bankroll the stunt.

“As far as we know, the Blitar administration has never allocated funds for buying hampers,” he said at a press conference.

“It’s possible the money came from a contingency fund or from emergency social aid funds.”

The watchdog said it had learned about the purchase after residents complained and sent in pictures of the hampers, which featured a signed greeting card from Herry.

Ilham said Herry might have wanted to boost his re-election chances in the upcoming local election.

“Handing out gifts is one of the most common tactics used by public officials seeking re-election,” he said.

“There are also indications that the purchase of the hampers did not go through a tender.”

By law, government contracts valued at more than Rp 50 million must go through a public tender.

The controversy comes on the heels of a similar move by West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, who spent more than Rp 1.2 billion on 450,000 Idul Fitri greeting cards and stamps featuring his picture — also unveiled by TII.

“The governor should have spent his own money on the greeting cards instead of using taxpayer money,” TII researcher Putut Aryo Saputro said.

Meanwhile, Indonesia Corruption Watch, another antigraft watchdog, said such practices had been allowed to flourish because of the inaction of the Elections Supervisory Body, which monitors cases of campaign and electoral violations.

“In the run-up to regional elections, you always see the incumbent allocating a lot of money to social aid or other popular programs,” ICW researcher Ibrahim Fahmi Badoh said.

“This is underhanded campaigning and should be stopped. ”

On Monday, TII also said it had proof that civil servants had flouted a KPK order against using their official cars to travel to their hometowns for the holiday.

Ilham said the watchdog had received pictures from the public of Jakarta-registered cars with red license plates marking them out as belonging to state institutions, taken in several Central and East Java towns.

“One such car was even spotted in East Java a whole week after Idul Fitri,” Ilham said.

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Over Half of Graft Suspects Beat the Rap

Jakarta Globe, Anita Rachman | September 06, 2010

The Corruption Eradication Commission building is shown in this file photo. Indonesia Corruption Watch data showed that 54.8 percent of defendants facing charges of corruption in regular courts ended up walking free. (SP Photo)

Jakarta. New research by a prominent watchdog reveals an alarming trend in the fight against graft, showing that well over half of corruption suspects tried in court in the first half of the year were acquitted.

Released on Sunday, Indonesia Corruption Watch data showed that 54.8 percent of defendants facing charges of corruption in regular courts — including district or municipal courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court — ended up walking free. Of those who were convicted, 8 out of 10 received sentences under five years.

“This is an indication of how our courts do not show seriousness in punishing corruptors — 54 percent is a huge number,” said Donal Fariz, an ICW law researcher and head of the watchdog’s court monitoring division.

The first six months of the year saw 166 graft defendants tried in 103 cases in various courts, with district courts handling 82 cases, he said. Bureaucrats topped the list of defendants, followed by lawmakers and counselors, local government officials, teachers, lecturers and a former minister. Cases largely involved school and local government spending.

“We need to watch our appellate courts, because their trend is pretty different from our antigraft court’s,” Donal said, adding that in 17 cases handled by the Anti-Corruption Court over the same period, no defendants were acquitted.

Alongside the 54 percent of defendants acquitted, the data shows that 22.9 percent of defendants were jailed for up to two years, and 18 percent for two to five years. The average sentence was 12 to 13 months.

“These acquittals build an atmosphere that makes this country a haven for corruption,” Donal said. “The president and the House of Representatives should seriously look at this situation and structurally lead the eradication of corruption in both governmental and legislative bodies.”

ICW data also shows that from 2005 through July this year, 857 corruption cases involving 1,965 defendants were heard in court. In these cases, 49.5 percent of the defendants were acquitted. The strictest year was in 2005, when appellate courts had a 22.2 percent acquittal rate.

The strength of the nation’s battle with corruption has been in question recently, as many graft convicts have enjoyed clemency and sentence reductions.

The National Mandate Party’s (PAN) Tjatur Sapto Edy, the deputy chairman of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, has called for corruption convicts to be banned from receiving clemency or sentence cuts.

Another commission member, the Golkar Party’s Nudirman Munir, said the House saw the acquittal rate as a serious problem.

“We want to give the Judicial Commission more authority, so it can examine and take action on cases that run against the sense of justice,” he said.

He vowed that a revision to the law on the Judicial Commission was on the House’s list of priorities to tackle this year.

Legal expert Topo Santoso, from University of Indonesia, warned that strengthening the Judicial Commission should not be the first priority. He said police and prosecutorial offices handling the cases should also be examined. An acquittal was not a decision that depended on the judges alone, he said, but on every institution involved in the prosecution. Each agency had a responsibility to contribute to the success of the courts, he said.

“What if the police dossier is weak?” he said. “The police are the gateway to criminal justice. If we haven’t succeeded in wiping corruption out of that institution, don’t expect our courts to succeed.”

Confirmed: Police lied, recording never existed

Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 08/12/2010 9:26 AM

Police have retracted a previous claim to have wiretapped phone conversations between a KPK official and a case broker, after having promised to present the alleged recordings to the Corruption Court.

National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said Wednesday the police did not have wiretapped conversations between Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy Ade Rahardja and suspected case broker Ary Muladi.

“What we have is not a tape. It is only the [call detail records],” Ito said.

The call detail records contain information on call traffic and the duration of calls made.

Previously National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri had repeatedly claimed the police had wiretapped recordings, which would have formed strong evidence to back up police and Attoney General’s Office (AGO) allegations that KPK leaders had attempted to extort money from businessman Anggodo Widjojo.

Activists had repeatedly voiced suspicions that the tapes did not exist after the police had three times disobeyed the court’s order to present them in the graft trial of Anggodo.

Two weeks ago, Anggodo’s lawyers requested the judges order the police to present the recordings.

Anggodo’s side believed the police had the tapes, which they thought could prove the KPK had attempted to extort money from him.

Ito’s statement explains why police had failed to present the tapes. However, the CDR would be presented to the court, he said.

“We will submit it [Wednesday],” he said.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) denied any responsibility for the mistake.

“Neither the tape nor transcripts [of conversations] are with us,” AGO spokesman Babul Khoir Harahap said.

This statement, however, contradicted that of Attorney General Hendarman Supandji in November, before members of House of Representatives’ Commission III overseeing law and human rights.

“We have evidence that Ary Muladi visited the KPK office six times, and made 64 phone calls to Ade Rahardja,” Hendarman said.

Babul said Hendarman’s statement was based on the police case files in last year’s attempted prosecution of KPK deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.

The dossiers cite visits and phone calls among evidence.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Febri Diansyah said Ito’s admission reinforced allegations that the police had fabricated the bribery accusations levelled against Bibit and Chandra.

“We urge Attorney General Hendarman Supandji and National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri to take responsibility for this mistake.

“The two must resign from their posts because, as high-level state officials, it’s very inappropriate to lie to the court,” Febri said.

At the beginning of the investigation into this case, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Johan Budi said the KPK’s internal supervision department had checked calls made by Ade already.

“We did not find any call data records for conversations allegedly involving Ade Rahardja and Ary Muladi.

“But, it is possible that our CDR is different to the police’s,” Johan said.

Both Ade and Ari had denied knowing each other.

“When the National Police said the recording of wiretapped conversations existed, we were also interested to hear them played back in court as demanded by judges, to reveal the truth,” Johan said. (gzl/lnd)

National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, right. Bambang failed to attend a ceremony at Police National headquarters on Friday amid confusion as to his whereabouts. (Antara Photo/Widodo S)

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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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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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