Indonesia signs regional anticorruption agreement
Indonesia signs regional anticorruption agreement
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia signed on Wednesday an agreement with Malaysia, Brunei
and Singapore that might help it arrest high-profile corruptors
who flee to the neighboring countries.
However, the agreement, which was initiated by Indonesia, does
not outline specific steps for the arrest and extradition of
suspects, but merely discusses capacity building and information
exchanges among the countries' antigraft agencies.
Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman
Taufikurrahman Ruki, Malaysia's Anticorruption Agency director
general Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor, Brunei's Anticorruption
Bureau head Datin Paduka Dayang Hajah Intan bin Haji Md and
Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau chairman Chua
Chen Yak represented their respective countries at the signing
ceremony.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who witnessed the signing, said
international cooperation was necessary to fight corruption and
money laundering.
"The government of Indonesia is very concerned about the
anticorruption drive. We have formed many (anticorruption)
agencies, enacted legislation to fight corruption and boost the
antigraft campaign, but we also need international cooperation,"
the Vice President said.
Kalla promised that Indonesia would extradite corruption
suspects arrested in the country.
"That is what the agreement is for. We also ask our neighbors
to hand over Indonesian corruption suspects hiding in their
countries," he said.
Commenting on the agreement, Mat Noor said Malaysian antigraft
agency was eager to improve its cooperation with Indonesia.
"All I can say is that we are willing to cooperate (with
Indonesia)," he said on the sidelines of the ceremony.
However, the head of the Singapore antigraft body, Chua, said
that despite the agreement Singapore could not extradite graft
suspects to Indonesia because the two countries did not have an
extradition treaty.
"Our agency's position is the same as (that of) the prime
minister. It has not shifted yet," he said, referring to
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Numerous Indonesian corruption suspects are thought to have
fled to Singapore, bringing with them billions of dollars.
Ruki said the signatories to the agreement, which is open to
the national anticorruption agencies of all ASEAN member
countries, agreed to implement the antigraft pact in accordance
with their domestic laws.
The agreement is meant to establish and strengthen
collaboration in the fight against corruption.
This cooperation could include information exchanges and
technical assistance in field operations.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised to get tough
on corruption in an attempt to lure back foreign investment.