Advocate warns asset forfeiture bill must not become a political tool

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Advocate Juniver Girsang has reminded the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) that the Asset Forfeiture Bill must not become a tool for destroying political opponents.

Based on his experience as a lawyer, he is worried that such problems could arise under the Asset Forfeiture Bill.

“This must not become a new ‘instrument of power’ to eliminate political opponents — that is our shared concern,” Juniver said during a meeting with Commission III of the DPR RI at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Monday.

He therefore asked for clarity on which parties hold the authority to seize and manage assets under the bill. In his view, the law enforcement agencies conducting investigations should not also be the ones managing the forfeited assets.

“The Attorney General’s Office should not be the one investigating, prosecuting, and then also handling the auction requests; the same applies to the KPK and the police. There must be a committee — and this is our recommendation — the body that investigates must not also be the one managing the assets,” Juniver said.

In addition, he said the drafting of the Asset Forfeiture Bill should examine whether other countries have succeeded in ratifying asset forfeiture rules. As far as he knows, no country has truly succeeded in doing so.

“To this day I have not seen any reference. Let us not become a tool of developed countries pushing ratification that instead becomes an instrument of pressure against us,” he said.