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fforts by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate hundreds of "illegal" bank accounts owned by government agencies should be supported by related institutions, observers say.

"*The responsibility for* handling the *government bodies'* illegal accounts needs to be shared between the KPK through its legal enforcement efforts and the ministries' seriousness in reforming their financial officials," Febri Diansyah from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He said success in managing the accounts depended on the KPK not discriminating.

"It should begin with law enforcement bodies, such as the Supreme Court, because it is one of the most corrupt institutions, besides the legislative bodies," he said.

Febri said the images of law enforcement bodies - such as the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and state courtshad been worse than ever in the past few years.

KPK chairman Antasari Azhar earlier announced his antigraft body would be ready to get started on the investigation this week.

"I have formed a team to investigate the case," he was quoted as saying by Antara news agency last Friday. "They will start taking action next week."

Antasari said the team, led by KPK official Ade Rahardja, hadand consolidated" with the Finance Ministry, the Supreme Audit Agency, the central bank and the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) before launching the investigation.

The KPK will track down the source of the money in the accounts, the background behind the opening of the accounts, the individuals who were responsible for the accounts and the intended purpose of any money in the accounts, he said.

The Finance Ministry handed over information on more than 260 illegal bank accounts to the KPK last week. The deposits in the accounts amount to Rp 314.2 billion (US$29 million) and $11 million in total.

The accounts comprise 102 accounts belonging to the Supreme Court, 66 to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, 36 to the Home Ministry, 32 to the Agriculture Ministry, 21 to the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, one to the Social Services Ministry and two to the Upstream Oil and Gas Executive Agency (BPMigas).

Patra M. Zen of the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) said that if the KPK found indications of corruption in the accounts, then it should press ahead with criminal procedures.

"It will also need the involvement of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono," he said.

"If the President wants to create good and clean governance, he should punish any ministers who refuse to cooperate or who continue to open this kind of account."