Corruption in government<\/p>\n
As a citizen, (former president) Soeharto obviously has the
\nright to tell his side of the story regarding allegations of
\ncorruption and to present his facts to the public. On the other
\nhand, the government, which has been mandated by the people to
\nact, has the authority to examine whether the allegations
\nregarding Soeharto's wealth are correct.<\/p>\n
It would, in this context, be proper for the government to
\napply the principle of a reversal of the burden of proof from the
\nplaintiff to the accused. This would mean that Soeharto, his
\nfamily and his cronies cannot just wait for people and the
\ngovernment to prove their case, but they must explain how they
\nacquired their current wealth.<\/p>\n
So far, as we have seen, Soeharto and the government as
\nrepresented by Attorney General A.M. Ghalib have challenged the
\npublic to prove the existence of the former president's acquired
\nwealth. On Friday, for example, Soeharto merely filled out a form
\ndeclaring his wealth, as President B.J. had Habibie requested.
\nBut although this could be used as a starting point for a further
\ninvestigation, it is not enough. This is all the more true since
\nthe government investigators appear to prefer to take a passive
\nattitude by asking people to justify their claims.<\/p>\n
We believe it would be useful for the government to actuate a
\nbreakthrough with regard to the fight against corruption,
\ncollusion and nepotism. President B.J. Habibie and all the
\nmembers of his Cabinet, for example, could make public their
\nwealth, including how they acquired it, for everyone to know.<\/p>\n
As people appear to be highly doubtful of the government's
\ndetermination to combat corruption, such a transparent attitude
\non the part of the authorities would provide useful shock therapy
\nto quell the skepticism that at present exists among the public.<\/p>\n
We are certain such a step would be highly appreciated and get
\nthe full support of the people. Hopefully it would also prompt
\nSoeharto to explain how he acquired his possessions, thereby
\npreventing further questioning by the public.<\/p>\n
-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/corruption-in-government-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }