Law enforcers not tough on graft: PKB
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
With the government's term nearing its end, the National Awakening Party (PKB) is giving the thumbs-down to law enforcers' efforts to eradicate corruption during the past five years.
House of Representatives faction deputy chairman Ali As'ad told a discussion on Friday law enforcers were not immune from corruption and this had obstructed the antigraft drive.
"The country has sufficient laws to bring the allegedly corrupt to justice -- I think the problem lies with the law enforcers as many are not above corruption themselves," Ali said.
The discussion was held to evaluate the achievements of the current House that ends its term on Sept. 30.
Ali said the country's failure to eradicate corruption could be measured by the small number of graft convicts who were jailed.
"Corruption is not only an illness, it has become a culture," he said.
Danang Widoyoko from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) said there was no progress in the country's efforts against corruption.
He said corruption cases involving the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) program were an example of a systemic failure to bring those guilty of stealing public money to justice.
The BLBI refers to the disbursement of Rp 144.5 trillion (US$17.7 billion) of Bank Indonesia (BI) funds to 48 non- performing banks in 1998. In January 1999, BI disbursed another Rp 14.44 trillion.
Owners of the banks had to surrender their assets to the Indonesia Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA), but when the agency was dissolved in February, only 28 percent of the state funds had been recovered.
Danang said only 16 of the 58 BLBI cases had been brought to court. Some 40 cases were still being investigated and two cases had been closed.
Worse, 10 suspects and convicted criminals had fled the country, he said.
"The suspects would not have fled abroad had the Attorney General's Office taken preventive measures during the investigation process," Danang said.
He suspected the state was also involved in the escapes.
Businessmen Syamsul Nursalim and Samadikun Hartono escaped justice after they were allowed by prosecutors to seek medical treatment abroad. Prosecutors eventually dropped Syamsul's case after the government issued a release and discharge for him.
A convict, David Nusa Widjaja, is still at large and is believed to have fled the country to avoid an eight-year prison sentence.
Another suspect, Agus Anwar, changed nationalities while his corruption case was being investigated, making him immune from extradition.