Govt petitions for revised antigraft law
Govt petitions for revised antigraft law
JAKARTA (JP): The government submitted to the House of
Representatives on Monday a petition for the revision of the
Anticorruption Law No. 31/1999, to propose shifting the burden of
proof for corruption cases.
The petition, dated April 24, 2001, was signed by President
Abdurrahman Wahid, who further assigned Minister of Justice and
Human Rights Affairs Baharuddin Lopa to discuss the revision with
the House.
"With the letter, the government would like to convey the
revision of the Law No. 31/1999 on Corruption for further
discussion and approval by the House of Representatives," the
letter, which was read out by the House's Secretary General Sri
Sumarjati, said.
The petition was read during the same House plenary session
scheduled to evaluate the President's response to the House's
first memorandum of censure, and consequently determine the
issuance of a second memorandum of censure against the President.
President Abdurrahman, in an effort to fight rampant
corruption, called for the reverse investigation system in a
House plenary session on March 28, 2001, when he responded to the
House's first memorandum over his alleged involvement in two
financial scandals.
With the letter, the government also ended a month-long
discussion regarding inclusion of the burden of proof revision
within the existing law, as some had demanded that it should be
stipulated in a separate law.
Under the new procedure, a suspect accused of corruption must
prove that he or she has acquired money or other assets legally.
Currently, it is the prosecutors who must prove whether a
defendant is guilty or not.
"The letter will be provided to the House's Consultative Body
(Bamus) which will schedule a discussion with the government,"
Deputy House Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, who led the
plenary session, said.
Indonesia has one of the highest levels of corruption in the
world. So far, efforts to combat corruption have been unfruitful
due to a lack of political will, loopholes in existing laws and
regulations, and corrupt officials within the judiciary. (dja)