Anticorruption fight no knockout

BANDUNG: The fight against corruption launched by provincial prosecutors in West Java 12 months ago has recovered Rp 230 million of an estimated Rp 117 billion in state losses resulting from the crime, according to a prosecutor.

Provincial chief prosecutor Sudhono Iswahyudi said recently that over the last 12 months his office had completed the dossiers of 82 of 123 suspects. Trials are currently underway for 43 of these suspects.

Sudhono admitted his office's performance had not lived up to people's expectations.

"Prosecutors find it difficult to collect evidence because the corruptors protect one another. Many cases were uncovered long after they had occurred, by the time all the evidence had disappeared," he said.

He said corruptors were also able to hide their illegal money by putting it in someone else's name or by buying property. -- JP