New anticorruption commission hailed<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Analysts hailed the newly endorsed law on the establishment of a
\npowerful anticorruption commission as a breakthrough in the
\ndrawn-out fight against corruption, rampant among public servants
\nand state officials.<\/p>\n
Noted legal expert Achmad Ali and Indonesian Corruption Watch
\n(ICW) coordinator Teten Masduki said the legislation was really a
\ngreat leap in the national movement against corruption, but the
\nelection of its members would be a crucial issue because its
\neffectiveness would partly depend on its composition.<\/p>\n
\"This is a major breakthrough, but to ensure the effectiveness
\nof such a commission we have to elect as its members people with
\na high level of credibility in fighting corruption,\" Teten told
\nThe Jakarta Post by telephone on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
According to the law, the commission, which will have five
\nmembers, will have full authority to investigate all cases of
\ncorruption involving state officials and prosecute them in court.<\/p>\n
Achmad Ali, also a senior lecturer of Makassar-based
\nHassanudin University, underlined the importance of public
\nparticipation in the election of independent figures to sit on
\nthe commission.<\/p>\n
\"Should the President and the House of Representatives fail to
\nfollow these criteria, I doubt whether the bill -- which, in
\nreality, is good enough -- will be effective,\" Achmad Ali told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
The law, which has yet to be enacted by the President, grants
\nthe commission authority to obtain information, arrest suspected
\ncorruptors and seize anything necessary to carry out their
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
Besides, the commission also has authority to examine bank
\naccounts, prohibit corruption suspects and ask for the suspension
\nof state officials suspected of corruption of Rp 1 billion (US$
\n1111,000) or more.<\/p>\n
The commission will also be allowed to take over existing
\ncorruption cases being dealt with by the police or the attorney
\ngeneral's office.<\/p>\n
The law requires all commission members to have a wide
\nknowledge of the law and a minimum of 15 years' professional
\nexperience in the legal field.<\/p>\n
Regarding prosecution, the law refers to Law No. 20\/2001 on
\ncorruption, which allows for a reversal in the burden of proof in
\ncorruption cases.<\/p>\n
The cases to be handled by the commission will be taken to an
\nad hoc court, with a panel of three ad hoc and two career judges.<\/p>\n
Achmad also mentioned that to keep the commission clean, its
\nmembers and staff would have to be paid salaries sufficient to
\nensure the welfare of their families.<\/p>\n
Both analysts were of the opinion that the commission would
\nrepresent a challenge to the police, the attorney general's
\noffice and prosecutors in investigating corruption cases.<\/p>\n
\"Many doubt that the commission's tasks will overlap with the
\ntasks carried out by the police and prosecutors. But to me, the
\nneed for the commission simply indicates the failure of these two
\ninstitutions,\" Achmad, also a member of the National Commission
\non Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-anticorruption-commission-hailed-1447893297",
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