Govt to sue convicted corruptors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With a vast amount of embezzled state funds remaining lost despite the imprisonment of some of the corruptors, the Attorney General's Office plans to file civil suits against convicted corrupters who have not returned the stolen funds.

During a press conference on Friday, Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Sudhono Iswahyudi said: "We are considering filing civil lawsuits against the convicts to pay fines and compensate for their crime."

Despite their convictions, most of which have been lenient, most high-profile corruptors have not returned the embezzled money to the state.

In the past, any amount returned was very small as the Attorney General's Office had never pursued the matter until now.

In its anticorruption drive, the government has vowed to claim state money stolen by convicted corruptors in a bid to reduce state losses.

The Attorney General's Office will also try to trace the convicts' assets abroad, Sudhono said.

"We have set up a joint team consisting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Police, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to trace the money," he said.

The press conference -- on the achievements of the Attorney General's Office in 2004 -- was attended by Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh, Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence Basrief Arief, acting deputy attorney general for general crimes Harprileni Ellen BS and spokesman RJ Soehandoyo.

The Attorney General's Office is currently discussing technical matters with institutions such as the central bank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to trace the assets of corruptors.

According to Sudhono, his office also expects to accelerate talks over possible extradition treaties with other countries, particularly those deemed popular destinations for Indonesian corruptors who fled abroad, particularly Singapore.

Among the biggest financial scams tackled by the Attorney General's Office are those involving the embezzlement of Bank Indonesia liquidity support funds involving some Rp 144.5 trillion (US$16 billion).

The money, which was disbursed by the government in the wake of the 1997/1998 financial crisis, was intended to help private banks cope with runs. However, much of the money was misused by the bankers.

Despite lengthy prosecutions, many of the bankers have been acquitted or have fled abroad. Those found guilty were given lenient sentences. To date, only a little of the embezzled money has been returned.