Sickness and corruption

Sickness and corruption

It is only in Indonesia that sickness and corruption go hand in hand.

Illnesses mysteriously afflict people who are suspected or convicted of corruption -- people who are otherwise very healthy suddenly get very sick. It seems that these sort of illnesses spring up out of nowhere without any warning.

Corruption is considered a universal disease as it can be found everywhere in the world. In every country, corruption is a crime that must be fought, and fighting it should be done in the legal -- not the political -- domain. This is because a government can change. Whoever assumes power should consider corruption a violation of the law that must be fought against.

Nurdin Halid and his brother, Abdul Waris Halid, of the Indonesian Association of Village Cooperatives (Inkud) are now "sick". They are being questioned over their alleged roles in the illegal importation of sugar. They were previously quite healthy but they are currently undergoing treatment in the police hospital in East Jakarta.

The facts on the ground show that illness is being used as a way to avoid the legal process. But only officials who are themselves "sick" could possibly allow people to escape the legal process in this way. -- Media Indonesia, Jakarta