House backs all-out fight against corruption

House backs all-out fight against corruption

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives threw its political
weight on Monday behind an all-out war on corruption, which, many
argue, has developed into an organized crime in crisis-plagued
Indonesia.

"Politically, the House supports all efforts to fight the
corruption that has contributed so much to the people's
sufferings and inflicted such huge material losses on the state,"
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung told visiting members of the Joint
Anticorruption Team led by Andi Andojo Sutjipto at the House.

He said it was the government's duty to implement the 1998
People's Consultative Assembly Decree on the eradication of
corruption and establishment of clean governance.

"It is not enough for the government to issue the 1999
anticorruption regulation. It must be followed up with concrete
action," he said.

The anticorruption team said at the meeting that the House and
the government must have a united political will to declare an
emergency so as to combat rampant corruption. The team explained
that in the eyes of the people, corruption had become an
extraordinary crime that must be eradicated through extraordinary
measures.

International surveys over the past few years have identified
Indonesia as being among the world's most corrupt countries.

Akbar said the House would study the team's proposals and
comments.

"House Commission II for home and legal affairs will study the
proposals and complaints. But, here and now, let me assure the
anticorruption team that the House is committed to a do-or-die
war against corruption," he said.

Akbar suggested that the team prepare a draft regulation in
lieu of a law and an anticorruption bill if the 1999 law on
corruption was considered to be ineffective in bringing
corruptors to justice and imposing appropriate sentences on those
convicted of corruption.

Earlier, the United Development Party faction had submitted an
anticorruption bill to replace the existing law.

Amien Aryoso, chairman of the House commission, conceded that
the current law contains numerous loopholes that allow corruptors
to get off the hook.

"Our commission will consider the proposal and study the
complaints. If the proposal accords with the bill to combat
corruption, we will recommend that the House enact emergency
measures against corruption," he said.

Amien insisted that the fight against corruption did not rest
with the House but rather with the Supreme Court and the
government, especially the National Police and the Attorney
General's Office.

"Success in fighting corruption depends on the police,
prosecutors and judges. The law enforcers must develop a strong
commitment to upholding the supremacy of law and those who hide
behind the law to protect corruptors must be punished as severely
as possible," he asserted.

He said that law enforcers should uphold the Constitution
which stipulated that everybody was equal before the law.

"Law enforcers must have the guts to net all corruptors,
regardless of their status as legislators or state officials," he
said.

He claimed that his commission had frequently asked the
National Police chief and the Attorney General to forge
cooperation with the Supreme Court, the Anticorruption Commission
(KPKPN) and the State Audit Agency (BPK) to cope with corruption.

Adi Andojo Sutjipto, the team's chairman, told the legislators
that the prevailing level of corruption could no longer be
handled by conventional means as it had become a deep-rooted
culture and an organized crime.

"The liberal culture and system which respect individual
rights have encouraged law enforcers to protect the corruptors'
individual rights, instead of upholding truth and justice," he
said. (rms)