Singgih predicts more sophisticated crimes ahead

Singgih predicts more sophisticated crimes ahead

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Singgih raised last week the
possibilities of more sophisticated, complex crimes happening in
the year ahead.

In a year-end press conference Friday, Singgih cited a number
of crimes, including money laundering, for law enforcers to watch
for next year, Antara reported. During the briefing, Singgih
evaluated the trend of crimes occurring over the past year and
predicted the legal enforcement's outlook for the coming year.

He said the difficulties of taking legal actions against money
launderers in Indonesia was due to the absence of adequate legal
mechanisms, compounded by rigid rules of confidentiality imposed
by banks.

Speaking more specifically on Indonesia's major event -- the
general election in May -- Singgih stressed the need for a smooth
process because the slightest offense could trigger major
upheavals, social unrest and criminal acts.

Singgih, who is also the National Election Committee's
Inspection Board chairman, said his office would give the
election its highest priority in accordance with Presidential
Decree No. 99/1996, issued on Christmas Eve, which introduces new
rules to ensure unrest-free procedures.

Along with Government Regulation No. 74/1996, the decree
stipulates election campaigning which will put more stress on
dialog and discussion and bans street rallies and convoys of
vehicles blamed for clashes and disturbances during previous
elections.

Singgih said the headache that continues to plague
Indonesia's waters is illegal trawling by foreign fishing
companies. He promised that related authorities, especially the
Navy, will handle the matter thoroughly.

Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Yunan Sawidji said
that the illegal trawlers usually operate under false fishing
licenses, or use foreign boats made to look like domestic boats.

The Attorney General Office reported this year 108 cases of
illegal trawling and 132 cases of special criminal cases, as
opposed to 326 cases last year. Among the special cases are
corruption and subversion.

Ban

Also during the briefing, Singgih announced the ban, effective
since November, on three books on the outlawed Indonesian
Communist Party (PKI). The first is Bayang-bayang PKI (The Shadow
of PKI) by Togi Simanjuntak and Irwan Hasibuan.

"The work is full of distortions," Singgih said, Antara
reported.

The two other books are Partai Rakyat Demokratik, Menuju
Demokrasi Multi Partai Kerakyatan (The Democratic People's Party.
Toward a Multiparty People's Democracy), which smacks of
communism, and Potret Negara Indonesia (Portrait of Indonesia) by
labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan, who is currently standing trial
for allegedly attempting to undermine the state ideology
Pancasila and the government.

Muchtar's is a subversive case and he could be sentenced with
death.

Singgih said 50 people have been prevented from leaving the
country in the eight months to November of this year, reaching a
total of 462, while those denied entry in the same period
comprise 26 people, giving a total of 177 people.

Education programs on legal aspects have been offered in 925
villages and information programs have been conducted 675 times
over the past year, he said.

He said standard court cases handled by his office reached
31,976 this year in comparison to 56,000 for 1995. This year's
expedited cases reached 1.6 million from last year's 1.4 million.

For the seven months to October of this year, appeals to the
high courts had a sharp increase of 14,139 cases in comparison to
last year's total of 4,132, he said.

The Attorney General's appeals to the Supreme Court also
experienced a sharp increase, with a total of 17,217 cases in the
same period of this year versus last year's 5,441.

During the same period, Singgih's office managed to return Rp
203 billion (US$85 million) to state coffers.

Regarding escapee bank swindler Eddy Tansil, a number of his
factories, land, home and stocks have been channeled into the
defrauded bank Bapindo and other syndicated banks for
compensation, Singgih said.

Head of Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office Sidharta said
the dossier on legislator Aberson Marle Sihaloho, who was
allegedly involved in the July 27 rioting, was to be submitted to
court on Dec. 27 (Friday), while the dossier on Catholic priest
Father Sandyawan Sumardi, who faces the same charge, has yet to
reach his office.

Singgih said continued efforts at improving the quality of
human resources at his office are being made to meet the
professional standards expected of his office.

Singgih said that out of 5,610 judges, 1,424 are following
additional legal education and training, while 17 others are
pursuing advanced legal degrees abroad. (01)