KPK all the way !
KPK all the way !
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman's remarks after being sworn in by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Dec. 29, 2003, to the effect that all cases of corruption were his priority (The Jakarta Post, December 30), deserve our support, despite his failure to short-list particular cases of corruption.
The government has given full powers to the team to act, as indicated by the fact that the President did not deliver a speech during the swearing-in ceremony. We are of the same opinion as the coordinator of Indonesian Corruption Watch, Teten Masduki (despite the various doubts and his disappointment over the line- up of the team), that we will need at least six months to one year to evaluate its performance.
To start with and in line with Ruki's statement that all cases of corruption are his priority, I think he must commence with an investigation into alleged markups in Ministry of Health projects, as these cases are the newest and easiest to probe. After that, he may probe other, bigger cases like the notorious bank liquidity loans which siphoned off trillions of rupiah in state funds, with most of the money since having been stashed abroad by the corrupters.
With regard to these loan scandals, the KPK will be able to utilize Articles 43-45 of the new United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), which Indonesia signed on Dec. 18, 2003, to detect money hidden in foreign countries, and establish international cooperation to investigate and extradite corrupters to Indonesia once the treaty has been ratified by the House of Representatives. In addition, the commission will also be able to use Articles 55-57 to recover embezzled money or assets.
If the probes of the above cases are successful, the commission will have proved to the public that it is serious in combating corruption, and may also improve Indonesia's position in international transparency ratings. If so, the Minister of Administrative Reforms' prediction that Indonesia will be free of corruption, collusion, and nepotism by 2015 may not overly pessimistic. So, go ahead, KPK !!
M. RUSDI
Jakarta