ICW distrusts government's stance on Ghalib case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) expressed
\ndoubt on Wednesday that the government and the military would
\nearnestly investigate the corruption allegedly committed by
\nformer attorney general Andi M. Ghalib.<\/p>\n
ICW member Bambang Widjojanto announced neither the government
\nor the military had undertaken concrete steps to follow up his
\norganization's report about the corruption case. He said there
\nwere signs the authorities would freeze the case.<\/p>\n
\"There is even signs the authorities will put the ICW in a
\ndifficult position by charging the ICW with defaming a government
\nofficial,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
Of Ghalib's 16 banks accounts which the ICW released to the
\npublic as evidence of corruption, only one of them has been
\nchecked by the government, Bambang said.<\/p>\n
He cited as proof the investigation was not being taken
\nseriously the fact that the military refused to officially name
\nGhalib a suspect, and that efforts had been made to destroy
\nevidence by switching the name on one of the accounts from Ghalib
\nto the Indonesian Wrestling Association.<\/p>\n
The corruption watch recommended the authorities establish a
\nteam to investigate the case as well as question the businessmen
\nimplicated in the scandal.<\/p>\n
Bambang said public participation was also needed to watch and
\nreport cases of corruption in the country.<\/p>\n
ICW coordinator Teten Masduki specifically asked the chief of
\nthe military police to be independent in investigating Ghalib,
\nwho is an Army lieutenant general.<\/p>\n
The corruption watch announced early in June that a total of
\nRp 9.2 billion was transferred to Ghalib's bank accounts. This
\namount included Rp 450 million transferred by businessmen The Nin
\nKing and Prayogo Pangestu in April.<\/p>\n
Ghalib denied there was anything untoward in the money
\ntransfers, saying the money was donated by the businessmen to the
\nIndonesian Wrestling Association, which he chaired.<\/p>\n
The corruption scandal created a public furor, and has been
\nthe topic of discussion in the legislature and on the streets.<\/p>\n
ICW said that despite the public interest, the authorities had
\nnot shown the will to investigate the case.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a group of lawyers urged the House of
\nRepresentatives to press the government to enforce the new law on
\nclean governance and to establish an anticorruption agency in
\norder to eradicate corruption in state institutions and state-
\nowned companies.<\/p>\n
The lawyers, grouped in the Front for Law Supremacy, said the
\nenforcement of the clean governance law, which was ratified by
\nthe House in May, was urgent given the rampant corruption and
\ncollusion in state institutions, including the bureaucracy and
\nstate-owned companies.<\/p>\n
\"The government should not wait ... to enforce the law because
\ncorruption has been institutionalized and become a cultural
\ndisease that could take decades to eradicate,\" group coordinator
\nFaried Gafar said after holding a dialog with the House's
\nCommission I for law, defense and security here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
He said besides deliberating submitted bills, the House should
\nalso exercise its supervisory function to push the executive to
\nenforce the bills.<\/p>\n
Faried also called on the government to immediately establish
\nan independent anticorruption agency to enforce the antigraft
\nbill which was scheduled to be passed into law on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The agency should handle allegations of corruption in state
\ninstitutions and also corruption cases which involve former
\npresident Soeharto, his family and associates,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said his front would support the ICW's plan to reveal
\naround 2,000 cases of corruption involving public officials,
\nincluding ministers and director generals of government
\ndepartments.<\/p>\n
He said the front urged the House to exercise its right to
\nquestion the government over its investigation into Soeharto's
\nalleged fortune, as well as that of his family and associates.<\/p>\n
Aisyah Aminy, who received the lawyers, pledged to encourage
\nthe government to enforce the law on clean governance immediately
\nand to establish the anticorruption agency.<\/p>\n
\"The problem is whether the government is able to recruit
\nindependent professionals to run the agency. This is
\ntheoretically easy but technically difficult,\" she said. (04\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/icw-distrusts-governments-stance-on-ghalib-case-1447893297",
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