Credibility of graft investigators doubted<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigner Marzuki Darusman cast
\ndoubt yesterday on whether the attorney general's office could
\nfulfill its pledge to investigate alleged corrupt practices under
\nformer president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
"I think the statement may have been made with good intentions
\nbut it certainly lacks credibility because the workings of the
\nattorney general's office in the past reflected an incapacity to
\naddress corruption cases," said Marzuki, who is deputy chairman
\nof the National Commission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said his skepticism stemmed from the fact that there
\nwere a number of corruption cases in the past which remained
\nunsolved by the existing attorney general's office.<\/p>\n
"This casts doubt on their capabilities and professionalism to
\ntackle such sensitive issues," Marzuki told reporters after a
\nceremony in which the commission received an Australian
\ngovernment grant to upgrade its staff capabilities.<\/p>\n
Marzuki therefore urged President B.J. Habibie to appoint an
\nindependent special commission to probe alleged abuses during
\nSoeharto's 32 year rule.<\/p>\n
"It is a test of his leadership to appoint someone who is
\ncredible. It is up to Habibie," he remarked.<\/p>\n
Vengeance<\/p>\n
While fully supporting the establishment of a commission to
\nlook into Soeharto's alleged power abuses, Marzuki also urged the
\ngovernment to act quickly in order to prevent the current mood
\nfrom deviating from a search for justice into full-blown
\nvengeance against Soeharto and his family.<\/p>\n
"The government needs to step in quickly and decisively to
\navoid possible reprisals," Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
He was also of the opinion that Soeharto and his family should
\nremain free until the commission is set up, because "they have
\nthe same rights as every other Indonesian".<\/p>\n
Once the commission was in place, some action could be taken
\nto ensure their "availability to testify", he said.<\/p>\n
Opposition figure Amien Rais recently suggested that Soeharto
\nand his family be barred from traveling abroad, in case they
\ndecided to flee to avoid issues pertaining to their wealth.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said he deplored recent reports from several provinces
\nthat students and other groups had taken drastic measures
\ndemanding the removal of certain officials perceived as corrupt.<\/p>\n
He feared that such moves could completely lose their sense of
\njustice and asserted that the presidential commission should also
\nhandle such cases.<\/p>\n
"We are concerned that the prevailing sense of justice is
\nevolving into emotions for vengeance and reprisals. It is a very
\nunfortunate and unhealthy development which the whole country
\nmust try to avoid," Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
In addition to appointing an "independent commission or
\ncommittee under the auspices of the government", the government
\nshould also urge the people to "forgive", Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
"But the truth still needs to be revealed if the public is
\ngoing to be asked to understand. To forgive and forget, they need
\nto know what they are being asked to forgive."<\/p>\n
Marzuki's comments followed a plea Monday by Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's first president
\nSukarno, urging Indonesians to leave the 76-year-old Soeharto and
\nhis family in peace.<\/p>\n
Senior political scientist Miriam Budiardjo called for
\npatience since a probe into the possible abuses by Soeharto and
\nhis family would need time before it could be completed.<\/p>\n
"The authorities must have evidence, and evidence is not
\nalways easy to come by," Miriam, who is also a member of the
\nrights commission, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.<\/p>\n
"There are a lot of stories circulating of course, but to get
\nevidence, that's going to be a problem," she added.<\/p>\n
Separately, University of Indonesia criminologist Mulyana W.
\nKusumah said that Habibie should now initiate a national
\nanticorruption campaign.<\/p>\n
Mulyana said that under the Soeharto government, corruption,
\ncollusion and nepotism were untouchable subjects.<\/p>\n
"Based on criminology, it is called an area of no
\nenforcement," Mulyana, who is also secretary-general of the
\nIndependent Committee for Election Monitoring (KIPP), said.<\/p>\n
Mulyana also said that authorities should immediately impose
\ntravel bans on individuals suspected of corrupt practices before
\nthey decided to flee the country.<\/p>\n
"We are racing against time," Mulyana said. (byg)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/credibility-of-graft-investigators-doubted-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }