Task force: Whistle-blowers like Condro must be rewarded

Members of the Judicial Mafia Taskforce met graft convict Agus Condro at the Jakarta Police Detention House on Thursday to discuss possible preferential treatment following his contributions to a crime investigation.

“We met up with Agus Condro because we want to show sympathy to people like him who have the courage to expose a crime,” task force member Mas Ahmad Santosa said outside of the detention house on Wednesday.

Agus Condro, a former Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle politician, is one of several politicians found guilty of accepting bribes in the form of traveler's checks linked to the Bank Indonesia Senior Deputy Chairman election in 2004.

Condro turned himself in to the Corruption Eradication Commission in 2008, disclosing fellow politicians’ involvement in the graft case. He was sentenced to 15 months in jail, three months less than fellow convict Willem Tutuarima.

“We are disappointed that Agus Condro was not given a meaningful appreciation for his role [as a whistle-blower],” Santosa said.

“People like Agus Condro should be given protection in the form of a reduced sentence of more than just one or two months,” he added.

Santosa, who came to the Jakarta Police headquarters with task force secretary Denny Indrayana, said that the task force would meet up with the law and human rights minister to discuss the matter further. (awd)