Susilo vows to clean up graft

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed on Thursday to begin ridding his office of corruption, part of a top-down reform drive to stamp out the practice that infects all levels of government in the country.

"We want to (start) cleaning up our own house. (We'll see) whether there are violations, losses of assets or misuse (of money) in the operations of foundations ... It is important to ask the people -- all of us -- to eradicate corruption, but we must start with ourselves and clean up our own houses," Susilo said after meeting with ministers and other top state officials to discuss the government's antigraft campaign.

He said the government would soon audit the Presidential Office, the Vice President Office, the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, and the Office of the State Secretary, including a number of its foundations.

He said that the Finance and Development Comptroller (BPKP) would audit state assets, while the Supreme Audit Agency and the Eradication Corruption Commission (KPK) would be invited to look into possible abuses in offices of government.

Susilo has put corruption eradication among the top priorities of this government. He asserted on Thursday that the anticorruption campaign launched six months ago had produced positive results.

This month, the antigraft court has convicted three high- ranking government officials for corruption, including the suspended Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh, and two senior officials at the Ministry of Communications, Harun Letlet and Tarsisius Walla.

However, the most high-profile of the graft criminals, Puteh, to the dismay of anticorruption activists has been able to escape jail and is under "city detention" in Jakarta until his appeal, when some observers believe he will walk free.

Despite this, prosecutors and the KPK continue to investigate other high profile cases.

Susilo said that he would hold a meeting once a month to monitor the progress of the anticorruption drive.

At the meeting, Susilo mentioned he had an eight-step plan to curb corruption but did not give any further details.

He said the government aimed to curb graft in the procurement of goods and services by ministries, state-owned companies and institutions.

"The state has suffered huge losses from corruption in the procurement area," he said.

He also assured international donors and the public the government would make sure the massive amount of funds dedicated for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of tsunami-hit Aceh would not be abused.

Efforts to hunt down some 21 corrupt officials and bankers or businessmen who have fled the country would also be intensified, he said.

In taxation, the government would focus on the country's top 500 corporate taxpayers to make sure they paid their public dues.

"Tax and excise are the bones of our state income. Violations will disturb our State Budget. We remind (businesses) to pay in accordance with law. Otherwise, it's a crime and is subject to punishment," he said.

Finally, the government would also continue to hunt down financiers of illegal logging activities in the country, he said.

KPK chief Taufiqurrahman Ruki welcomed the President's antigraft campaign.

"I urged the President to create a spirit among bureaucrats to intensify corruption eradication efforts, or at least try to prevent corrupt practices as most of them think corruption is an ordinary thing," he said.