Legal action against officials a deterrent

Some of us would show concern if former Jakarta Police chief General Sofjan Jacoeb was truly involved in the smuggling of Mercedes Benz cars. Why are we concerned about it? Because we have empathy with whomsoever is implicated in a case, found guilty and punished.

However, the case of luxury car smuggling must of course be investigated so that it will be transparent, and measures can be taken against those involved who have abused their authority and violated the law.

Legal action against important people can help to effectively prevent and eliminate corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Why can legal actions against important or powerful people involved in violating the law serve as a deterrent? Psychologically, people will perceive that if powerful individuals can be convicted those in lower positions will not be spared. It means that the government and law enforcers are really serious about enforcing the law.

Take smuggling for example. The cases are many: large, medium and small. Those caught red-handed smuggling narcotics have often been openly reported by the media.

Meanwhile, most of us have some doubt whether contraband trade in the open sea has also been effectively overcome. The question arises as to the parties involved in smuggling cases, whether they are only private citizens, officials, or also include personnel from related state agencies.

--Kompas, Jakarta