Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration\nand Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said President Prabowo Subianto\ncontinues to stress that state losses must remain an element of\ncorruption offences.<\/p>\n
He made the remarks amid discussion of redefining corruption,\nfollowing comments by National Economic Council chair Luhut Binsar\nPandjaitan several weeks ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe remains of the view that the element of state losses must not be\noverlooked. So, of course, we need to make adjustments and\nimprovements,\u201d Yusril said after meeting Prabowo at the Presidential\nPalace in Jakarta on Monday (26 October).<\/p>\n
Yusril said the urgent issue was how to define state finances. Under\nIndonesia\u2019s current laws, he said, the term has many different\nmeanings.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, does state wealth that has been separated to establish\na state-owned enterprise (SOE), or an SOE\u2019s subsidiary, still count as\nstate money?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He cited a state-owned bank that manages public deposits. Some of\nthose funds may be lent out and subsequently become non-performing\nloans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWould the bank\u2019s management be charged with corruption? That is the\nproblem. Is the money lent out state money, or is it public money held\nby the bank?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Yusril also said he had explained to Prabowo that corruption under\nthe United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) does not mean\nbribery alone. The convention also covers other offences, including\nmoney laundering and fraud.<\/p>\n
\u201cUNCAC provides guidance for countries to formulate clearer and more\nprecise definitions of corruption, set out how to combat it, and\nregulate international cooperation between countries in fighting\ncorruption,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Yusril therefore called for revisions to Law No.\u00a031 of 1999, as\namended by Law No.\u00a020 of 2001, on corruption. He said changes were\nincreasingly necessary alongside revisions to Indonesia\u2019s Criminal Code\nand Criminal Procedure Code.<\/p>\n
A bill on asset forfeiture is also being discussed, he said, making\nit necessary to harmonise the existing corruption law with the other\nlegislation.<\/p>\n
He also stressed the importance of aligning the corruption law with\nUNCAC. Indonesia\u2019s law has not been revised since 2001, while the\nconvention was ratified through Law No.\u00a07 of 2006.<\/p>\n
Yusril said the meeting with Prabowo also touched on issues such as\nunder-invoicing by businesses in the mining sector and illegal fishing,\nwhich he said cost the country hundreds of trillions of rupiah each\nyear.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/yusril-reveals-prabowos-position-on-defining-state-losses-in-corruption-cases-1793022705", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }