Singgih admits drop in corruption cases<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Singgih confirmed yesterday the
\ndecline in the number of reported corruption cases over the past
\nfew years, but conceded it could be due to the increasingly
\nsophisticated mode of the practice.<\/p>\n
Singgih, however, also pledged the government would continue
\nand intensify its fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
\"The number has declined... (and) the causes are many (such
\nas) better supervision... (better) prevention, or maybe because
\nof the ... increasingly sophisticated methods (such as those
\ncommitted) by multinational corporations,\" Singgih told reporters
\nafter meeting with President Soeharto at Merdeka Palace
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
He cited 325 reported cases in 1994\/1995 fiscal year causing a
\nfinancial loss of \"Rp 1 trillion and some billions\", 409 cases in
\n1995\/1996 causing a Rp 208 billion (US$63 million) loss and 274
\ncases in 1996\/1997 resulting in a loss of Rp 377 billion to the
\nstate.<\/p>\n
The huge loss in 1994\/1995 was mostly due to businessman Edy
\nTansil and several former Bapindo bank executives whose
\nfraudulent activities caused a Rp 1.3 trillion loss, Singgih
\nsaid. Tansil escaped earlier last year from the Cipinang prison
\nwhere he was serving a 20-year sentence. He is still at large.<\/p>\n
In the 1997\/1998 fiscal year, as of last September, the number
\nof reported corruption cases reached 234 and caused the state a
\nRp 77 billion loss.<\/p>\n
\"This means, there's an average of 350 cases every year,\"
\nSinggih said.<\/p>\n
But he said that despite the declining trend, \"we prioritize
\nour fight against corruption\".<\/p>\n
Singgih reported to Soeharto yesterday the result of the just
\nconcluded meeting of inspector-generals of various state agencies
\nand departments. \"Those inspector-generals should be told about
\nthe way (the corruption took place) so that they understand the
\nvulnerable spots that need better supervision,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy
\nLtd issued earlier this year a report of its survey which named
\nIndonesia as the most corrupt country in Asia.<\/p>\n
The survey involved 280 executives who were asked to grade
\neach country on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being the best
\ngrade and 10 the worst. Indonesia had the worst score of more
\nthan eight, followed by India, China, Vietnam, South Korea,
\nThailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
Indonesia established an anticorruption law in the 1970s, but
\nenforcement has been lax so far.<\/p>\n
Singgih lamented the fact that it is usually difficult to
\nretrieve state money lost in corruption. \"Once they (corruptors)
\nescape abroad, they usually launder the money,\" he said. \"But
\nwe'll keep on trying.\"<\/p>\n
Another obstacle was that it usually took a long time before a
\ncorruption case was revealed.<\/p>\n
\"It's so different with murder, it's discovered immediately,\"
\nhe said. \"With corruption... (it becomes) known after there's an
\naudit, postaudit etcetera,\" he said. He said Edy Tansil's corrupt
\npractices between 1992 and 1993 were only discovered in 1994.<\/p>\n
\"What's important now is prevention,\" Singgih said. (swe\/prb)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/singgih-admits-drop-in-corruption-cases-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }