Graft found at every level of govt<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A report on Wednesday confirmed post-reform suspicions that
\ncorruption in the country had spread from the central government
\nin the Soeharto era to regional governments after reform and the
\nregional autonomy drive.<\/p>\n
The report, based on a survey conducted by top anticorruption
\nwatchdog, Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), revealed that,
\nbetween January and August this year, 314 cases of corruption
\nwere found in various tiers of the government, mostly in regental
\nand municipal administrations. The corruption cost the state an
\nestimated Rp 2.7 trillion (US$287 million).<\/p>\n
The report, based on a survey conducted in 15 provinces
\nnationwide, stated that 187 of the corruption cases were found in
\nregental and municipal administrations. \"The provincial
\nadministrations are just behind them with 88 cases, while the
\ncentral government has the lowest figure of 30 cases,\" the report
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The survey also found that most of the corruption in the
\nregions was committed by regents, mayors and councillors.<\/p>\n
\"Our report found that there was evidence to suggest that 28
\nheads of regental and municipal administrations were involved in
\ncorruption,\" said Adnan Topan Husodo of the ICW.<\/p>\n
According to him, three other groups who were held responsible
\nwere government employees, councillors and contractors.<\/p>\n
Corruption committed by government employees was found in 17
\ncases, while the involvement of local contractors hired for
\nprocurement projects was found in 13 cases, said Adnan.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, councillors were found in 64 cases, he said.<\/p>\n
Fellow activist Lucky Djani added that the ICW's latest
\nfinding could be used to support the widely held assumption that
\nthe autonomy law, which granted more authority to local
\ngovernments, had made them more susceptible to corruption than
\nthey were before.<\/p>\n
During Soeharto's 32 years in power until 1998, the government
\nwas highly centralized, and corruption was mostly confined to the
\ncentral government.<\/p>\n
The ICW report also found that Aceh province recorded the
\nhighest proportion of state losses. \"Government money that was
\nallegedly misused in Aceh between January and August, reached a
\nstaggering Rp 1.2 trillion,\" it said.<\/p>\n
Adnan said that the absence of legal certainty due to the
\nenactment of the state of emergency and martial law
\nadministration in the strife-torn province had contributed
\ngreatly to the swelling figure of state money being stolen.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government imposed martial law in Aceh in May
\nlast year in an attempt to wipe out armed separatism by the Free
\nAceh Movement (GAM). The martial law status was lifted in May
\nthis year and replaced by a state of civil emergency.<\/p>\n
\"There are also large sums of humanitarian relief money
\npouring into the province with little or no accountability,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
According to Lucky, of the 314 allegations nationwide, only 27
\ncases which were currently being prosecuted in court, while
\nanother 143 cases were still being investigated.<\/p>\n
\"It shows that law enforcers, especially the state
\nprosecutors, which number at 6,000 nationwide, have not done
\nenough to bring the unscrupulous officials to justice,\" Lucky
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/graft-found-at-every-level-of-govt-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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