Observers say govt must be bolder to bring Nunun back

Anti-corruption observers say the Foreign Ministry must be bolder in helping the antigraft body to get bribery-fugitive Nunun Nurbaeti back to the country.

"It's time the Foreign Ministry was more stern in helping the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] get Nunun back," said Danang Widoyoko of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) on Tuesday at the Anti-Corruption Forum in Jakarta. "Of course, through diplomacy."

Teten Masduki of Transparency International Indonesia (TII) is of the same opinion, urging the ministry to show more guts in playing its diplomatic role.

"Of course it can help the KPK in diplomacy. It is only a matter of willingness; whether they want to do it," Teten said. "At least show more efforts in lobbying; it may result in something good."

Nunun, is suspect of distributing bribes in the form of travelers' checks to dozens of former and current lawmakers for their support of Miranda S. Goeltom in the 2004 central bank's senior deputy governor selection.

She flew to Singapore in February last year where she is said to have received medical treatment for "severe forgetfulness". She has been dodging the KPK's calls for questioning and failed to testify before the courts for four other convicts in the case.