Four win Bung Hatta Anti-Corruption Award
Four win Bung Hatta Anti-Corruption Award
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Four people won on Monday the Bung Hatta Anti-Corruption Award
for their relentless dedication to the fight against corruption.
Karaniya Dharmasaputra, the managing editor of Tempo weekly
news magazine, won in the civil society category; Erry Riyana
Hardjapamengkas, former president director of PT Timah Tbk, won
in the business category; Mohammad Yamin, the head of the
Attorney General's Office's Training and Education Center, and
Syamsul Qomar, a judge at the Langsa District Court in East Aceh,
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, both won in the government category.
The award, the first of its kind in the country and named
after the nation's first vice president, Mohammad Hatta, was
conferred by a non-profit foundation, the Bung Hatta Anti-
Corruption Award Association. The late Bung, or uncle, Hatta was
known for his high degree of integrity, honesty and commitment to
anticorruption.
During a decidedly low key ceremony held at the Gallery Cafe
in Central Jakarta, jury member Betty Alisjahbana announced the
winners of the award. She was flanked by Teten Masduki, a co-
founder of the 15-member association.
The four winners were shortlisted and selected by a nine-
member jury from various backgrounds: Antonius Sujata, the
chairman of the National Ombudsman Commission, Betty Alisjahbana,
the president director of PT IBM Indonesia, Humayunbosha
Somiadiredja, the president director of PT Caltex Pacific
Indonesia, Komaruddin Hidayat, a senior lecturer, and Faisal H.
Basri, a member of the Business Competition Supervisory
Committee, Tini Hadad, a non-governmental organization (NGO)
senior activist, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, a member of the
National Legal Commission, Nini K. Maramis, a former lecturer and
Fred B.G. Tumbuan and a member of the Indonesian Bank
Restructuring Agency's (IBRA) Oversight Committee.
The jury chose Karaniya Dharmasaputra for his work and
dedication in combating corruption in society via his work in the
media. He was the journalist who broke the story on the scandal
involving the disbursement of more than Rp 40 billion (US$ 4.7
million) in State Logistic Agency (Bulog) money to poor people.
The scandal implicated Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung.
Erry Riyana was chosen for his pioneering work in introducing
good corporate governance to the local business community.
Mohammad Yamin won the award for his integrity in combating
corruption. One of the big cases he handled was a Rp 1 trillion
corruption case involving businessman Eddie Tanzil.
Judge Syamsul Qomar won the award for his firm stance in
dealing with corruption, as demonstrated by his demands for a
life sentence for several defendants in corruption cases in his
native Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.