Harsh punishment for corrupt police

Harsh punishment for corrupt police

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Dibyo Widodo
vowed yesterday to punish any police officers found to be taking
bribes in the processing of driving licenses.

"If you see (police officers taking bribes), please tell me.
I will not hesitate to take firm action against them," he said,
adding that some officers had already been punished for bribe-
taking.

Dibyo made the remark in response to media reports that
corrupt police, together with brokers, were forcing Jakartans to
pay much higher than the official fees to either get a new
driver's license or to extend an existing one.

The brokers reportedly offer faster service for the processing
of license documents, possible through a bypassing of ordinary
procedures, in return for additional, unofficial payment.

The fees charged by the brokers for the processing of a
driving license are about Rp 130,000 (US$59), twice the ordinary
fee of Rp 65,000.

In view of the rampant operation of the brokers, H. Mochamad
Aman, head of the city council's Commission A, which is in charge
of government affairs, urged the city police chief on Saturday,
not only to receive reports about the bribery practice, but also
to check in the field himself.

Aman said that the fight against bribery was not as easy as
one might imagine because it meant coming to terms with the
attitude, mentality and behavior of those involved in the
practice.

He said that the current bribery scheme involving police
officers was in violation of the regulations.

"Applicants for licenses, who should be instructed on good
behavior and abiding by the procedures, are, instead, forced to
take a short-cut," Aman said, as quoted by the Kompas daily.
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