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This year, KPK to focus probes on state agencies |
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Senin, 09 Januari 2006 |
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In the two years since its establishment, the Corruption Eradication Commission has tended to concentrate on graft in state institutions, including regional administrations, instead of high-profile bank scandals like those involving the misuse of Bank Indonesia liquidity loans between 1997 and 1998, which caused Rp 144.5 trillion (US$15.05 billion) in state losses, or corruption cases involving former president Soeharto.
KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas says the commission is focusing on graft cases that could lead the way to reform of both state and private institutions.
We do not intend to bust the big fish only as we are also required to establish a system to prevent corruption. We believe that a correct and clean system may significantly reduce the level of corruption in this country, said Erry.
This year, the KPK will continue with this policy, he added.
Nevertheless, the KPK has drawn praise for uncovering corrupt practices in the General Elections Commission (KPU) and pushing for a crackdown on the buying and selling of justice in the courts, including the Supreme Court. For decades, the existence of so-called court mafia, while common knowledge, was difficult to prove.
The KPK uncovered a series of graft cases involving the KPU after its investigators caught KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah red-handed attempting to bribe a government auditor.
KPK has also investigated a bribery case involving the Supreme Court following a claim by the half-brother of former president Soeharto, Probosutedjo, that he had bribed judges to rule in his favor.
Currently, the KPK is completing a thorough report on reform of the KPU. For this reason, the KPK has interviewed a number of KPU members and employees who are currently in jail, including Mulyana and KPU treasurer Hamdani Amin.
We wonder why the KPU members, who are respected figures with quite clean track records, could become involved in such crimes. We are pleased that some of them expressed an interest in reforming the KPU, Erry said.
The jailed KPU members and employees suggested that the KPU secretariat should be run by professionals instead of bureaucrats from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
They also suggested that KPU members focus on decision making in connection with the preparations for the elections, and leave procurement matters to the secretariat, Erry said.
It is compulsory to implement reform recommendations proposed by the KPK.
We have secured agreement from the government to push ahead with the reform, he said.
The KPK's main duty is to take on corruption cases that have inflicted losses of Rp 1 billion or more on the taxpayer.
The commission was established due to the fact that many major graft cases in the past were often dropped by the police, prosecution service or judges for apparently inexplicable reasons.
The KPK has been dubbed a superbody as it has the power to summon anyone, including high ranking officials, without the president's consent, ask the president to suspend officials to facilitate prosecution and gain access to the bank accounts of suspects.
It has also the power to take over cases from both the police and prosecution service.
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Source: The Jakarta Post, January 9, 2006 |
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