Investigators still absent at Cendana, only flowers arrive<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): As of Sunday there were no signs that the
\nAttorney General-led team investigating the wealth of former
\npresident Soeharto had met him at his residence.<\/p>\n
Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta was
\nquiet and \"no entry\" signs were posted at both ends of the
\nstreet, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
As journalists on the street watched out for a possible visit
\nfrom Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib, a florist's vehicle
\narrived to deliver bouquets of orchids and roses for Soeharto and
\nhis eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, around 3:50 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"May you stay steadfast and strong,\" read the message on the
\nbouquets sent by the family of Taufik and Rini from Cibubur in
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie assigned Ghalib to chair the team
\ninvestigating the former president's wealth last week. Government
\nofficials have said that Soeharto would be questioned \"as soon as
\npossible\" at his residence, at whatever time the former president
\nset.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, Kompas quoted Hardiyanti as saying that the
\nfamily was prepared for the investigation, but she appealed to
\npeople not to make their own judgments.<\/p>\n
\"If we are not in the wrong, as citizens of this country we
\nhave a right to legal protection,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Last week, Minister of Justice Muladi said private parties
\nwould be welcome to give any information they had on Soeharto's
\nwealth to the investigation team. He cited individuals \"like
\nGeorge Aditjondro\", an Australia-based scholar who has conducted
\nextensive research into the Indonesian political elite's wealth,
\nincluding that of the former president.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in a discussion on corruption held on Friday,
\nobservers said the creation of a democratic political system
\nalong with the empowerment of civil society were key factors to
\nfighting rampant corruption in the country.<\/p>\n
Former Cabinet minister Emil Salim said the overconcentration
\nof power without any control has provided a favorable environment
\nfor corruption to flourish.<\/p>\n
\"A new political system based on free and honest elections is
\na prerequisite to wipe out corruption,\" Emil, who leads the Civil
\nSociety Movement (Gema Madani), said at the University of
\nIndonesia in Depok, West Java. Equally important are freedom of
\nassociation and a free press, he added.<\/p>\n
The talks, jointly hosted by the university and Transparency
\nInternational (TI), among others also featured TI Australia chief
\nexecutive Peter Rooke and sociologist Sayed Hussein Alatas from
\nthe National University of Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Hussein Alatas stressed that apart from the rule of law, what
\nwas important was \"the rule of values.\" He also said the public
\nshould be made to realize the importance of upholding the law.
\nThe author of The Sociology of Corruption said people should
\ncheck the \"morality\" of ruling officials to determine whether
\nthey really intended to eradicate corruption.<\/p>\n
Peter Rooke cited an Asian Development Bank (ADB) directive
\nwhich quantifies the direct costs of corruption.<\/p>\n
He said the ADB estimated that corruption could add between 20
\npercent and 100 percent to the cost of goods and services in
\nseveral Asian countries; it could cost governments as much as 50
\npercent of their tax revenues; and that losses due to corruption
\ncould add up to more than a country's foreign debt.<\/p>\n
Emil, an economist, also said that the market economy must be
\nallowed to function, adding that extensive regulations that
\ndistorted its proper functioning must not be tolerated.<\/p>\n
However, he said the most difficult and most important
\nendeavor was to stamp out corruption by preventing conflicts of
\ninterest from arising.<\/p>\n
He said most corrupt practices stemmed from a blurring of the
\nfunction and responsibility of state and society. He cited the
\ncentral bank, which in addition to its state duties holds large
\ninvestments in private banks. He also pointed to director-
\ngenerals of government departments who sit on the board of
\ndirectors of private sector companies and presidential appointees
\nto the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), whose job is to call
\nthe president to account. (byg)<\/p>",
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