RI to sign UN anticorruption pact<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia is slated to sign the new United Nations Convention
\nagainst Corruption in Mexico in December, expecting that it would
\nstrengthen the country's drive against rampant and prolonged
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
Romli Atmasasmita, who chairs the selection committee for
\nmembers of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said the
\nconvention would help the country establish an international
\nnetwork to eradicate corruption.<\/p>\n
"The convention confirms that corruption is a transnational
\nphenomenon and that international cooperation to prevent and
\ncontrol it is mandatory," he told reporters recently.<\/p>\n
International corruption watchdogs have consistently rated
\nIndonesia as one of the world's most corrupt countries.<\/p>\n
Corruptors, Romli said, often fled with money they had stolen
\nin a certain country to another country and launder or invest
\ntheir ill-gotten wealth there.<\/p>\n
"International cooperation is a must, particularly to
\ninvestigate the case, bring the corruptors to justice as well as
\nretrieve state assets that have been laundered abroad," he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has often faced difficulties in its attempts to
\narrest alleged corruptors who flee abroad, let alone to get the
\nstate assets back.<\/p>\n
Several high-profile convicted and suspected corruptors in the
\ncountry have fled abroad to escape prosecution, including Hendra
\nRahardja, who escaped to Australia where he died on Jan. 26 of
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
Hendra was jailed for life for stealing Rp 1.95 trillion of
\ntaxpayer money distributed to two of his banks under the Bank
\nIndonesia Liquidity Assistance program during the economic crisis
\nin 1997.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has no extradition treaty with Australia, which
\nafter Hendra's death offered Jakarta some US$120 million of his
\nassets there.<\/p>\n
Another alleged corruptor, Sjamsul Nursalim, fled to
\nneighboring Singapore for medical care. The government is still
\nunable to investigate his case.<\/p>\n
Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra has repeatedly
\ncomplained about Singapore failing to act against several
\nIndonesian corruptors who fled to the country.<\/p>\n
Singapore has no extradition treaty with Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Romli said that some countries would possibly decide not to
\nsign the convention.<\/p>\n
"But, if they do that, it would be clear which country is
\nsupporting corruption," he said, adding that Indonesia was
\nexpected to ratify the convention next year.<\/p>\n
Some 30 countries are set to sign the convention in Mexico.<\/p>\n
It introduces a comprehensive set of standards, measures and
\nrules that all signatories can apply. It calls for preventive
\nmeasures and the criminalization of the most prevalent forms of
\ncorruption in both the public and private sectors.<\/p>\n
However, its major breakthrough is requiring member states to
\nreturn assets obtained through corruption to the country from
\nwhich they were stolen.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-to-sign-un-anticorruption-pact-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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