Saldi seeks judicial retribution<\/p>\n
Syofiardi Bachyul JB, Padang<\/p>\n
Anticorruption activist and Andalas University lecturer Saldi
\nIsra expects to see corruptors made to pay for the losses they
\nhave caused others.<\/p>\n
The coordinator of the Care for West Sumatra Forum (FPSB) --
\nwhich was instrumental in the prosecution of a high-profile
\ncorruption case involving the West Sumatra Legislative Council --
\nmaintains that a guilty verdict alone would not eradicate
\ncorruption, particularly within the government.<\/p>\n
Saldi has been committed to fighting corruption since 1999,
\nsurviving death threats and defying defamation attempts.<\/p>\n
He said Regional Autonomy Law No. 22\/1999 provided opportunity
\nfor corruption, as it stipulated that political affairs are the
\nresponsibility of councillors while budget decisions are the
\ngovernor's.<\/p>\n
\"Such authorities can be easily traded, thus collusion is
\nimminent.\"<\/p>\n
Saldi and the Forum have been fighting restlessly for justice
\nagainst the councillors and West Sumatra governor for their gross
\nmisuse of the provincial budget.<\/p>\n
In the beginning, he recalled, students, non-governmental
\nactivists and academics pledged to supervise the performance of
\nthe councillors, who were elected in 1999 in that so-called
\ndemocratic election -- the first to be held after more than three
\ndecades of Soeharto's authoritarian government. These concerned
\nindividuals formed a group called Kisi Anak Nagari.<\/p>\n
\"We demanded that when the councillors elected a 'new face' to
\nthe West Sumatra governorship for the 2000-2005 term, that they
\naccelerate reform in the province,\" said Saldi.<\/p>\n
The \"new face\" was to be a reform-minded person with adequate
\nleadership capability who would not be associated with the past
\nNew Order government.<\/p>\n
Their hope was dashed when Zainal Bakar was elected; Zainal
\nwas a former deputy governor.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody responded to our objection, so we realized there was
\nno significant distinction between the councillors elected during
\nthe reform era and those during the New Order. We believed
\nsomeone had to monitor their work,\" said Saldi.<\/p>\n
Of the three West Sumatra Council committees, the group
\ndecided to supervise the budget committee, as they believed it
\nwas open to abuse -- the other two are the legislative and the
\nsupervisory committees.<\/p>\n
In 2001, Saldi and 20 other individuals requested legal
\nstanding to file a complaint against the council with the Padang
\nDistrict Court, but the appeal was rejected -- the court had
\nruled the matter was beyond their jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
That same year, he joined forces with the Padang branch of the
\nLegal Aid Institute (LBH) to file a class action against the
\ncouncillors for each receiving Rp 200 million in \"extra
\nallowance\". The court again rejected their suit.<\/p>\n
After these failures, Saldi, along with LBH Padang activists,
\nthe West Sumatra anti-corruption board (BAKO), the Indonesian
\nForum for the Environment (Walhi) and several academics and their
\nstudents, established the FPSB in early 2002. Its first
\ncoordinator was historian Dr. Mestika Zed.<\/p>\n
The Forum focused on investigating a suspected misuse of the
\n2002 provincial budget. A joint investigation conducted with
\nacademics of Andalas University and Padang State University
\nuncovered an illegal duplication of the budget and extraneous
\nspending.<\/p>\n
Before the council and the governor endorsed the budget, the
\nForum issued a protest and students rallied at City Hall asking
\nfor a postponement, but to no avail. Saldi and the group went to
\nsee Zainal to ask him not to approve the budget, but the governor
\nwas deaf to their calls.<\/p>\n
In August 2002, the Forum filed a criminal suit at the West
\nSumatra Prosecutor's Office, accusing the 55 councillors of
\ncorruption. Two months later, they filed another suit against the
\nWest Sumatra governor.<\/p>\n
The office began examining the indictment only in November
\n2002, after the Forum had appealed to the National Ombudsman
\nCommission to complain about the prosecutors' slow work.<\/p>\n
Saldi and four Forum members were named witnesses in the
\ncorruption case.<\/p>\n
The case was eventually taken to court, and in May 2004, the
\nPadang District Court found 43 West Sumatra councillors guilty of
\nswindling Rp 6.4 billion from the 2002 provincial budget, an
\nunprecedented verdict and one that rendered the council virtually
\nnonexistent.<\/p>\n
However, the councillors -- most of whom were reelected in the
\nApril 5 legislative election -- remain free pending their
\nappeals. Prosecutors are still waiting presidential approval
\nto investigate the governor.<\/p>\n
Saldi said the court's conviction of the councillors was not
\nsupplemented by any other penalties such as immediate prison
\nsentences, and had therefore not made a significant breakthrough
\nin the judicial fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
\"We welcome and appreciate the verdict from the Padang
\nDistrict Court, but in my opinion, the judges are still taking
\nthe middle road by merely delivering a verdict of guilty and not
\nmake them conscious of their wrongdoings.<\/p>\n
\"By imposing a (stiff) penalty, however, the judges could
\ninvoke fear among others and deter people from corruption,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Last month, the West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office acknowledged
\nthe Forum's contribution to civil society through an award.<\/p>\n
Looking back over the past four years, Saldi was amazed that
\nthe Forum's efforts against corruption at the council had borne
\nfruit.<\/p>\n
It is also just the tip of the iceberg, and this year, Saldi
\npublished Kampanye dengan Uang Haram, (Campaigning with illegal
\nmoney), as the country moves forth in embracing a direct
\nelectoral system.<\/p>\n
Not one to rest on his laurels, the father of two is now
\nactive as a guest speaker on anticorruption at several
\norganizations in Sumatra and Java.<\/p>\n
\"They asked me to share the FPSB's experience in fighting
\ncorruption at the West Sumatra Council. It seems that our work
\nhas inspired many,\" he said.<\/p>\n
I-box<\/p>\n
BioBrief<\/p>\n
Saldi Isra was born in 1969 in Paninggahan, Solok, West
\nSumatra, and graduated summa cum laude in 1995 from the Law
\nSchool at state-run Andalas University, Padang. He received his
\nMaster of Public Administration in 2001 from the University of
\nMalaya, Malaysia, and is a lecturer of the postgraduate law
\nprogram at his alma mater.<\/p>\n
In 2002, he was named \"Favorite Lecturer\" of Andalas
\nUniversity and helped establish the Care for West Sumatra Forum
\n(FPSB).<\/p>\n
Saldi is a recipient of the 2003 SCTV Award in recognition of
\nhis popularity and contributions as a lecturer at Andalas, and
\nwas elected FPSB coordinator the same year upon the strengths of
\nhis law background.<\/p>\n
He is also a prolific writer and has written about 150
\narticles for local and national newspapers.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/saldi-seeks-judicial-retribution-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}