The elections and anti-corruption measures<\/p>\n
Patrick Guntensperger, Business Consultant, Jakarta,
\nttpguntensperger@hotmail.com<\/p>\n
This year there will be a new government in Indonesia. You can
\nbe sure that we will see some of the same old faces around the
\nlegislature just as we will see some new ones. But it is a chance
\nto make a fresh start. As the government starts to form new
\ndepartments and set its goals for its new mandate, the time will
\nbe ripe to create mechanisms to combat government corruption.<\/p>\n
Asking an entrenched government to address government
\ncorruption is like asking a criminal to arrest himself, but as
\nthe new government embarks on its mandate, we will have an
\nopportunity to make some strides towards cleaning out the Aegean
\nstables of corruption that are crippling Indonesia. These strides
\nshould take the form of initiatives specifically aimed at the
\nentrenched tradition of collusion, corruption and nepotism within
\nthe established bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
The first thing that needs to be done is to announce a zero-
\ntolerance policy. That will be greeted with cynical smirks, as it
\nwill be assumed that the new policy is nothing more than
\npolitical posturing.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless the announcement is important because it serves
\nnotice on the corrupt; it eliminates any defense that their
\nactions are the norm and that their actions are what one has come
\nto expect. It eliminates or at least reduces any hesitancy we
\nmight have to pursue the criminals and prosecute them.<\/p>\n
When the zero tolerance policy has been broadly announced and
\nit is certain that every individual in every department has been
\ninformed that acts of corruption will be punished by immediate
\nloss of position, benefits and pension and followed up by
\nvigorous criminal prosecution, the new measures should be
\nenacted. Following are a few suggestions for new measures that
\nunquestionably will have an impact on the level of corruption in
\ngovernment in this country.<\/p>\n
Create a government department with the specific mandate of
\ninvestigating allegations of corruption and preparing evidence
\nfor criminal prosecution in cases where the allegations are
\ndetermined to be valid. The department should be highly visible
\nwith a toll-free number and email address that is widely
\ndisseminated throughout the country. A public ad campaign should
\nbe launched to inform people of the new department and how to
\ncontact it to report cases abuse of authority and public
\ncorruption.<\/p>\n
A special investigative force should be created to investigate
\nallegations. It would be best if the individuals on this force
\ncome from parts of the country that are fairly distant from the
\nareas in which they will be working in order that they are not
\nknown and in order to give them and their families a level of
\ncomfort regarding the possibility of retaliation by those who are
\ncharged with offenses.<\/p>\n
This new anti-corruption force should work closely with the
\nprosecutor's office and should include, as well as investigative
\nofficers, people with training in criminal law in order to be
\nqualified to prepare legal briefs for the prosecutors.<\/p>\n
The force should be highly visible in the press and there
\nshould be at least one experienced senior individual to handle
\npublic relations. The force must be and must be seen to be
\nincorruptible. Among the senior officers, only the most
\nidealistic and those who are above suspicion should be considered
\nfor assignment to this force.<\/p>\n
The actual investigators should be made up of the absolute
\ncream from universities, law schools and police recruiting
\noffices. The force should include a high percentage of women;
\ncorrupt government employees prey upon women to an equal or
\ngreater extent than they do on men. As well, well-trained female
\ninvestigators are less likely to be suspected in undercover
\nroles.<\/p>\n
The investigative force would have two basic mandates. On the
\none hand they would overtly follow up and investigate the charges
\nthat come in to the department's public access phone lines, email
\naddress and website. The other group would work primarily
\nundercover, simply by sending officers to various government
\noffices to apply for routines services from the civil servants.<\/p>\n
They would be empowered either to make spot arrests of
\nofficials who request gratuities, demand bribes or engage in
\nother solicitations of graft and, in cases where it appears
\nwarranted, to request a more thorough and detailed investigation
\nof an individual, office, branch or department.<\/p>\n
While the individual investigators would necessarily have a
\nlow profile, the force as a whole would have a high public
\nprofile. This would ensure that the public is aware at all times
\nthat something is being done about the problem and would, it is
\nhoped, create a cachet about the force.<\/p>\n
The force, with diligent work, a pristine record and good
\npublic relations would eventually be seen as an elite force which
\nit would be every child's dream to join one day. The standards
\nfor recruitment must be very high, the force's reputation must be
\nimpeccable and the members of the force must be absolutely
\nincorruptible. And of course, the force itself must be held to
\nthe absolute highest ethical standards.<\/p>\n
As the elections draw near, let's challenge the candidates to
\npropose something like the above. Who among the alternatives on
\nthe ballot have the courage and the integrity to commit to
\nvigorous measures such as those offered here?<\/p>\n
Now is the time for those who want to lead this country to
\nstand up and tell Indonesians that they are serious about making
\nthis country into a place to take real pride in.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-elections-and-anti-corruption-measures-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}