Law enforcers join hands to combat graft<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Underlining the importance of coordination in dealing with
\ncorruption cases, the country's law enforcement institutions
\nagreed on Wednesday to cut through the bureaucratic procedures
\nthat have so far hampered investigations.<\/p>\n
The Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political and
\nSecurity Affairs and its subordinate ministries, the National
\nDevelopment Planning Agency (Bappenas) and the Supreme Court
\nsigned a joint agreement to mark their commitment to combating
\ngraft during a meeting called the Law Summit II.<\/p>\n
With the support of non-governmental organization the
\nPartnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia, the law enforcers
\naddressed the bureaucratic obstacles to investigating corruption
\ncases and recovering swindled state funds.<\/p>\n
\"The obstacles that must be wiped out include the time-
\nconsuming procedure to obtain approval from the president or the
\nimmediate superior to question a witness or a suspect,\" said
\nacting deputy attorney general Bachtiar Fachry Nasution.<\/p>\n
\"We are also looking at the possibility of opening or freezing
\nthe bank account(s) of a witness before naming him or her a
\nsuspect, and immediately suspending him or her from their post
\nduring the investigation,\" he said during a media conference
\nafter the signing of the agreement, called the Joint Agreement on
\nthe Action Plan on Law and Judicial Reform 2002-2004.<\/p>\n
In their joint action plan, the officials acknowledged that
\nmedical excuses from doctors had become an effective tool for
\nthose seeking to avoid investigation. The meeting recommended the
\nrevision of regulations and laws on this procedure.<\/p>\n
The event on Wednesday was a continuance of the Law Summit I
\nheld last January, which highlighted the dire need to restore the
\ntrust of the people and the international community in
\nIndonesia's justice system.<\/p>\n
The joint agreement also embraces the government-sanctioned
\nCommission on National Law (KHN) and the structure of the
\nCommission on the Eradication of Corruption.<\/p>\n
Besides measures for dealing with corruption, the agreement
\nalso establishes blueprints for law reform, judiciary reform and
\nthe reform of the prosecutors' office and the police.<\/p>\n
Asked how law enforcement institutions could ensure the public
\nof their integrity, given the numerous corruption cases involving
\ngovernment officials, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan
\nsaid the already-established Communication Forum of Law Enforcers
\nwould act as a supervisory body for the implementation of the
\naction plans.<\/p>\n
\"The people should not become a priori just because judges
\ncannot prove corruption allegations against their colleagues,\"
\nBagir said, in apparent reference to case involving three Jakarta
\nCommercial Court judges -- Hasan Basri, Ch. Kristi Purnamiwulan
\nand Cahyono -- who reportedly received bribes prior to issuing a
\nruling declaring Manulife Indonesia, a local unit of Canadian
\ngiant Manulife Financial, bankrupt last August.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/law-enforcers-join-hands-to-combat-graft-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}