BNI scandal

The public outcry following the shocking allegations (or discovery, if you will) of a scam at state bank BNI involving a fictitious letter of credit for about Rp 2 trillion, masterminded by a group of the bank's officials in collusion with some its clients, has been audible in every corner of the country: Somebody must be hanged for it!

Already, 22 accomplices have been detained and interrogated. Corruption watchdogs are getting impatient to see whether police investigations into the scandal are serious this time and whether those found having connections in one way or another with it will be punished, as the minister overseeing the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (BPPN) sounded hawkish when he indicated that nobody would escape justice, "to serve as a lesson for similar cases in the future." He failed to mention, though, that most people are incorrigible when it comes to having a corrupt mentality.

Meanwhile, the media have been quick to conclude that some of the money has found its way into the coffers of individuals belonging to a "mafia" related to the 2004 general elections, supposedly free of money politics, at least in theory.

However, the public are generally pessimistic that those responsible for the crime will get their just desserts. Everybody knows the road map to justice in this country is not only slippery but also full of loopholes, so that smart lawyers can erect obstacles in defense of the accused. There is no reason to suspect that the police, and later, judges, confronted by such a sudden and serious test case will play a part in another game if morally they think they need to lift their image and keep their consciences clear.

Personally, I'm convinced that sooner or later somebody involved in the scandal will be hanged.

GANDHI SUKARDI Jakarta