Time to return ill-gotten gains
Time to return ill-gotten gains
From Merdeka
I agree to the demand made by many quarters to the effect that the wealth of the Soehartos must be investigated and returned to the people, especially now that Probosutedjo, as the "spokesman" of the Soeharto clan, has given the green light on condition that everything should be done pursuant to the law.
Of course, justice will be better served if a probe is also made into the fortunes of the families of other officials, who amassed as much wealth as possible before being "weaned" by the Soeharto administration. Also to be investigated should be the families of non-government officials, certain people known to be very close to the businesses run by the Soehartos.
If the probe into and the return of the wealth take place concurrently and also voluntarily, this sympathetic gesture will not only allay the anger and envy of common people at large but also help restore the national economy. As we are all aware, all this wealth has been used mainly for political purposes, in the sense of playing with national politics and using the money at their disposal.
According to the Center for Data of Indonesian Business, the wealth accumulated by the Soeharto family is estimated to reach Rp 200 trillion. The amount would certainly be even greater if assets owned by the families referred to earlier are included.
Regarding the probe into and the return of the wealth to the people, an independent agency must be set up to carry out a series of activities from the probe through to its return to the people. Members of this independent agency must be qualified people free from corruption, collusion and nepotism.
An important thing to remember in regard to the fortunes amassed by the Soehartos and others is that a good control system and a fine check-and-balance mechanism must be put to work to ensure there will be no room for corrupt, collusive and nepotistic practices in future.
It is necessary to adopt a system that imposes harsh sanctions on those engaged in corrupt, collusive and nepotistic practices to ensure that the perpetrators will be deterred and other people will be discouraged from committing the same acts.
UMAR ABDUH
Jakarta