Media told to play bigger role in antigraft drive<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
\"Deep Throat\", Sherron Watkins and Mordechai Vanunu are three
\nof the most famous whistle-blowers in history, and respectively
\nblew the lids of Watergate, the Enron scandal and Israel's
\nillicit nuclear arsenal.<\/p>\n
The role of whistle-blowers has long been known to be crucial
\nin the fight against corruption. Therefore, according to two
\nprominent anticorruption activists, the media needs to encourage
\nmore whistle-blowers here to come forward to help in the fight
\nagainst corruption.<\/p>\n
Norwegian Eva Joly told a discussion on Friday that it was
\neasier for journalists to seek insider information from
\nwhistle-blowers than the police.<\/p>\n
\"If sources give documents to the media, it is as efficient as
\ngiving them to the police. The media could initiate the
\ninvestigation ... That's what happens in Norway,\" said Joly, a
\nspecial advisor to the Norwegian government in the fight against
\ncorruption and money laundering.<\/p>\n
Also speaking during the discussion was Joly's assistant,
\nAnne-Mette Dyrnes.<\/p>\n
Joly said the media had a strategic role to play in the war
\nagainst corruption due to its accessibility to the public.<\/p>\n
However, the problem with Indonesia was the absence of witness
\nprotection legislation, something that discouraged people from
\ncoming forward to report graft cases.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot fight serious crime without the assistance of civil
\nsociety. Therefore, the protection of witnesses and
\nwhistle-blowers by law needs to be put in place as soon as
\npossible,\" said Dyrnes.<\/p>\n
Without such a law, whistle-blowers could easily find
\nthemselves up facing libel suits and the media would not be able
\nto protect them.<\/p>\n
One whistle-blower, Endin Wahyudin, was found guilty of
\nbribing three judges in 2002, even though the judges accused of
\ntaking the bribes were all acquitted.<\/p>\n
Another problem faced by the media in developing countries was
\nthe limited access to public information, unlike the
\ncircumstances prevailing in developed countries like Norway.<\/p>\n
\"Here, there is also a need for the consent of the President
\nto initiate an investigation into corruption. This requirement
\nneeds to be abolished,\" said Dyrnes.<\/p>\n
Both Joly and Dyrnes said that the effectiveness of the media
\nin fighting corruption depended on how far it could access
\nsources. The media also needed to heighten people's awareness
\nabout how to file complaints and furnish information.<\/p>\n
\"There should be a system to take care of people's complaints
\nand information. Ordinary people should be able to find out where
\nthey can file complaints, and the media should inform them about the
\nprocedures,\" said Joly, who was among the initiators of the Paris
\nDeclaration, an international instrument to reduce corruption in
\nthe global financial field.<\/p>\n
The important thing for the media was to keep up the pressure
\non the corruptors.<\/p>\n
\"One thing that can be done immediately is to focus on
\npeople's wealth. Ask where they got their money from. Go and ask
\nquestions rather than waiting for the KPK to verify it,\" Joly
\nsaid, referring to the Corruption Eradication Commission.<\/p>\n
Aside from urging an increased role for the media in combating
\ncorruption, Joly and Dyrnes also made a number of
\nrecommendations.<\/p>\n
* The anticorruption efforts should be capable of being
\napplied retroactively.<\/p>\n
* The responsibility of the KPK should cover the laundering of
\nthe proceeds of corruption and other related crimes, as stated in
\nthe United Nations Convention against Corruption.<\/p>\n
* The penal provisions on corruption should be reviewed and
\namended to make them clearer and more accessible to law
\nenforcement agencies and the judiciary, and there should be no
\nroom for impunity for those returning the proceeds of a crime.<\/p>\n
* The prosecution service should be more independent and less
\nbureaucratic, for instance, by reducing the number of
\nhierarchical levels in the service.<\/p>\n
* Training and capacity-building for law enforcement agencies
\nare also essential, as well as the employing of permanent staff
\nby the KPK and the Financial Transaction and Report Analysis
\nCenter (PPATK) to ensure continuity, stability and engagement in
\ncombating corruption.<\/p>\n
* A more multidisciplinary approach in all law enforcement
\nagencies, increases in budgetary resources, more efficient
\norganization of the KPK leadership, and a greater level of
\ninternational cooperation are also required.<\/p>",
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