Strong anticorruption law approved by legislators

Strong anticorruption law approved by legislators

Efforts to eliminate widespread corruption entered a
significant phase on Tuesday after the House of Representatives
approved an anticorruption bill, which is expected to strongly
arm legal authorities.

The new law that was approved at the House plenary session was
an amendment of Anticorruption Law No. 31 issued in 1999.

Teras Narang, chairman of the commission responsible for
deliberating the anticorruption bill, said that key articles of
the new law included clear provisions on reversing the burden of
proof, bribery, transitional rulings and punishment.

Narang said the new anticorruption law improved Law
No.31/1999, which could not be used to investigate corruption
cases committed by former officials before the law came into
force.

"The new law clearly states that corruption committed in the
past can be investigated based on Law No. 3/1973, but with
maximum verdicts based on provisions of Law No. 31/1999," Narang
said.

Under the new anticorruption law, those found guilty of
bribing judges, for example, were liable to between three and 15
years in prison or a fine of between Rp 150 million (US$15,000)
and Rp 750 million. The punishment can also be applied to judges
proven guilty of receiving bribes.

Another example is Article 12, under which civil servants and
other state employees are liable to life imprisonment and a Rp 1
billion fine if proven guilty of receiving gifts in connection to
the abuse of power.

Article 38-B on reversing the burden of proof stresses those
suspected of involvement in a corruption case must be able to
prove that their wealth was not obtained through corruption. If
they cannot prove it, the judges could order that their wealth be
seized for the state.

Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) chairman Teten Masduki said
that progress had been made with the new law, but stressed that
its effectiveness needed proving in its implementation.

Teten said that one of its weaknesses was that reversing the
burden of proof was only applicable at the court level and not at
the investigation level.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle spokesman Muhammad
Yunus Lamuda expressed hope that the new law would put a stop to
multi-interpretations of anticorruption regulations.

"Multi-interpretations of the content of regulations have
freed a number of corruptors or those who masterminded acts of
corruption. It is a serious hurdle for law enforcement," Yunus
said at the House plenary session. --JP