T

he government has been under fire for "neglecting" the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) that has resulted in a lack of employees and a poor performance over the past year.

Emerson Yuntho from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said the government's negligence of the LPSK had occurred since its establishment in August 2008, when the government began its selection process for agency members a year after the Law on Witness and Victim Protection was endorsed in 2006.

"The President has never even inaugurated LPSK members.

"He had plenty of time to conduct campaign rallies across the country, but no time to inaugurate the agency's members," Emerson told a discussion in Jakarta on Thursday, which was held to commemorate the LPSK's 1st anniversary on Aug. 8.

LPSK chairman Abdul Haris Semendawai confirmed Emerson's remarks, saying that agency members had decided to start working immediately, even though they were yet to be inaugurated, and were armed only with a presidential decree of their appointment.

Abdul also said the government had only disbursed funds to finance LPSK activities in mid December 2008, making it difficult for the agency to implement its programs once it was first established.

Bureaucratic procedures at the state secretariat also hampered the work of the agency, Abdul said, by making it difficult for the LPSK to recruit secretarial staff.

"Consequently, we only began to really work in May, about four months ago and there are still vacant positions in our secretariat that we are trying hard to fill," he said.

Emerson further criticized the government, accusing it of supporting the agency halfheartedly, as no "safe homes" have been established to protect witnesses and victims seeking the agency's protection.

He also criticized the poor security measures in place for protecting whistle-blowers.

"How can it *the LPSK* provide protection, when the officers in charge are no more than security guards?" Emerson said.

He also highlighted the lack of ethical codes and internal supervision within the agency that could lead to the misconduct.

According to Abdul, the LPSK has received a total of 61 witness protection requests, only five of which have been granted and are now part of the agency's protection program.

The others are either still being deliberated or require additional documents in order to be ratified as part of the agency's protection program.

The LPSK, for example, has asked the police to hand over all witnesses in corruption cases.

Rhani Juliani, the main witness in the Nasruddin murder case, declined protection from the agency despite the legal imperative.

"The LPSK is a neutral agency. If suspicion arises, it would be better to let us handle the witness," Abdul said.

The police said earlier that Rhani, the wife of the late Nasruddin, had been placed under police protection upon request from her family over fears for her safety.