Anti-tobacco group to report govt officials, lawmakers to police

An anti-tobacco group will file a report with the National Police against individuals at the Health Ministry and the House of Representatives in connection with the missing clause on tobacco in the health bill the lawmakers passed into law last month.

The Coalition against Corruption of Tobacco Clause, comprising Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), the Indonesian Consumers Foundation and the Commission on Child Protection, said the scandal was a crime.

“We are still formulating our argument on the crime committed,” David ML Tobing of the coalition told kompas.com on Friday.

The report will be released either Tuesday or Wednesday.

David said the coalition had found evidence the article was intentionally scraped, and that a key witness would testify against the ministry officials and House lawmakers in the case. “We are keeping the evidence and identity of the witness secret, otherwise they will disappear,” he said.

Another coalition member Kartono Mohammad said the activists would also report the case to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) because they suspected money had exchanged hands in the case.

“We suspect the revocation of the clause was not free of charge,” said Kartono, who is a former member of the Indonesian Doctors Association.