House must draw up witness protection program: Activists

JAKARTA (JP): Activists are urging the House of Representatives to include a witness protection program in the antigraft bill to encourage the public to report corruption.

Executives of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation and the independent Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) told a special committee deliberating the bill that "the whistle-blowers on alleged corruption should be freed from all legal charges.

"The bill also should clearly stipulate that the personal safety of the witnesses will be fully protected," the groups said in a statement on Friday.

Activists said earlier that a witness protection program was urgently needed because of past experiences of harassment of people who came forward with corruption allegations.

The groups also said the bill should provide for the establishment of an independent antigraft commission, equipped with the authority to investigate and prosecute public officials accused of abuse of power.

They added that members of the commission should be appointed by the House and be accountable to it to ensure their independence.

"The commission should only be an ad hoc body to handle certain cases when the people are in doubt about the independence of law enforcement bodies," the statement said, an apparent reference to the police and the Attorney General's Office.

Under Lt. Gen. Andi M. Ghalib, the Attorney General's Office has been accused of deliberate foot-dragging in the investigation into allegations that former president Soeharto illicitly amassed a multibillion dollar fortune during his 32-year rule.

Ghalib, whose rank was equivalent to minister, temporarily vacated his post in June after ICW accused him of corruption, saying it possessed evidence he accepted money from leading businessmen under investigation by his office.

It was the first time in decades that a community group forced a minister from office.

Under Soeharto, Indonesia gained a reputation as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, with bribes and payoffs a regular fixture of living and doing business in the country.

The government said last month Ghalib would be tried in a military court if proof of corruption was found.

However, there has been no clear progress in the investigation.

Proreform leaders have aired doubts that the government would take firm action against Ghalib, saying he would escape any legal consequences as long as President B.J. Habibie's administration remained in power.

They said a thorough investigation into Ghalib's case would be tantamount to breaking a dam, as cases involving other government officials also would be uncovered.(byg)