Faith lacking in Susilo's anticorruption campaign

Faith lacking in Susilo's anticorruption campaign

Tony Hotland and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's introduction of concrete
antigraft measures at state institutions will have little impact
unless law enforcement institutions are reformed and his Cabinet
totally supports the move, observers say.

Romli Atmasasmita, head of the Anticorruption Monitoring
Forum, and Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) coordinator Teten
Masduki said that reforming law institutions, most of which were
manned and run by corrupt individuals, and Cabinet members'
support are a must in the efforts to eliminate corruption at
state institutions.

"We all know the political commitment of the President against
corruption. But the antigraft campaign needs more than
commitment," Romli told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Susilo has made an effort to demonstrate his commitment to
fighting corruption since taking office in October last year.

Romli said the eight antigraft steps announced by the
President on Thursday were nothing more than mere political
commitment.

"Auditing state institutions is a regular duty of the Finance
and Development Comptroller (BPKP) and the Supreme Audit Agency
(BPK). What the President must do is ensure follow ups on the
results of the audits, meaning that any violations must be taken
to court," Romli said.

Audit results of the two agencies, which often release reports
on the abuse of state funds, however, are often ignored by the
authorities, Romli said.

"Should they take it to the Attorney General's Office, the
latter ignores it. The President must know it and ensure that any
violations disclosed by an audit be prosecuted," Romli said.

The President vowed that he would start ridding his office of
corruption as a part of a top-down antigraft campaign involving
all government institutions.

Susilo said the BPKP would audit the State Secretariat and the
Cabinet Secretariat as well as the Bina Graha presidential office
and the vice presidential office.

Both Romli and Teten said the President's antigraft campaign
had yet to show any significant results.

"It's not working, we can't feel any result," Romli said.

They said that the lack of support from Cabinet members and
law enforcers was thwarting the campaign.

"Susilo's commitment has yet to be translated into real action
by his ministers and relevant institutions," Teten said, adding
that they should follow up with more concrete objectives and
determine a yardstick for the goals.

The seemingly lack of support from Cabinet members in the
fight against corruption can be seen from the fact that only one
minister has set up a task force to eradicate corruption in his
office, as explained by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)
chairman Taufiqqurahman Ruki on Thursday.

Teten warned that the major hurdle to combating corruption was
in fact law enforcers combined with poor coordination among law
enforcement institutions such as the KPK, the Attorney General's
Office, the police and the courts.

"Susilo should take progressive moves in reforming these law
institutions considering that many of them are still occupied and
run by corrupt individuals," said Teten.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said on
Friday that since assuming office, the President had issued
permits for prosecutors to investigate 39 regional administration
officials for alleged corruption, comprising four governors, 25
regents, one mayor and nine deputy mayors.