Public upbeat over graft suspect hunt<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The public has high hopes that the planned government team
\nassigned to hunt down graft suspects residing overseas will be
\nable to conclude its mission in a country where corruptors have
\nlong managed to easily escape justice and enjoy their ill-gotten
\nwealth abroad, according to a top lawmaker and anticorruption
\nactivist.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nA.M. Fatwa, however, warned that the public's optimism could turn
\ninto outrage, if the team fails to perform its task.<\/p>\n
\"This step can be a test to assess the government's
\nseriousness in eradicating corruption,\" Fatwa said in a press
\nrelease issued on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"If there is a positive result, then (public) support for the
\ncurrent government will strengthen. If not, I'm afraid the public
\nwill become increasingly apathetic, and perceive similar actions
\nin the future as mere lip service,\" said the senior politician.<\/p>\n
Hatta was responding to a plan by the Attorney General's
\nOffice to set up a joint team to hunt down corruption suspects
\nwho have fled overseas particularly to neighboring Singapore.
\nThe eight-member team will also track down the personal assets of
\nthe corruptors to help recover state losses.<\/p>\n
Office spokesman R.J. Soehandojo said that the team, which
\nwill include officials from the National Police, immigration
\noffice and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, would start
\nwork after the government concludes an extradition treaty with
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to fly to
\nSingapore on Feb. 15 to discuss the long-running extradition
\nissue with Singapore Prime Minister Lie Hsien Loong.<\/p>\n
Fatwa acknowledged that the success of the team's mission
\nwould largely depend on whether the government could secure an
\nextradition treaty with Singapore.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lucky Djani, deputy chairman of Indonesian
\nCorruption Watch (ICW), said that aside from good bilateral ties
\nwith foreign countries, the team's success would also depend on
\ngood coordination between related offices.<\/p>\n
\"From what we've seen so far, lack of coordination has always
\nbeen the main problem of our government. If the team can get past
\nthat hurdle then the road to success will open wide,\" Lucky told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"We will see this time whether or not the team can capture
\nthose fugitives, since it is such a huge task and cannot be
\naccomplished in a few months but may take as long as several
\nyears,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Deputy Attorney General for intelligence Basrief Arief has
\nbeen chosen to head the special team, while National Police
\ndeputy chief of detectives Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida will be his
\ndeputy.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that
\nthe team did not have a specific target on the number of graft
\nsuspects to be brought back home to face trial, nor how many
\nassets could be recovered.<\/p>\n
\"We'll just do our best,\" Da'i said.<\/p>\n
Da'i admitted that an extradition agreement, especially with
\nSingapore, would make the team's work easier, but even without
\nthe agreement, the team would still be able to work by asking
\nhelp from a mutual legal assistance agreement (an agreement
\nbetween ASEAN countries) and Interpol.<\/p>\n
\"First we have to be able to locate all those fugitives by
\nasking help from those agencies, then we will be able to think of
\nour next move,\" Da'i said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/public-upbeat-over-graft-suspect-hunt-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}