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SBY's commitment questioned as more graft inmates paroled
Anticorruption activists took to the streets on Monday, calling on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to revoke the decision by the Law and Human Rights Ministry to grant graft convicts parole
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nticorruption activists took to the streets on Monday, calling on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to revoke the decision by the Law and Human Rights Ministry to grant graft convicts parole.
The protesters staged a theatrical act in front of the ministry's headquarters on Monday, putting on masks bearing the faces of a number of graft convicts who have been released on parole.
The protesters also called on Yudhoyono to drop the ministry's plan to grant parole to more graft convicts.
They also chided Yudhoyono's penchant for releasing albums while ignoring the fight against graft.
'While the public questions his commitment to eradicating graft, he is busy making music and strumming on his guitar,' said Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Emerson Yuntho.
Yudhoyono released his fifth album in his 10-year presidency in August. The album is a compilation of songs and poetry, composed and written while he was in office.
ICW data said Yudhoyono's administration had released 38 graft convicts, most of whom were high profile ones with business backgrounds, including business tycoon Siti Hartati Murdaya and businessman Fahd el Fouz, even though the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had rejected the decisions.
Emerson has urged the ministry to come clean by revealing the names of all graft convicts who have been granted parole.
The ICW suspects that the ministry may have kept information regarding the actual number of graft convicts who have been given parole.
The ministry is processing the parole request of Anggodo Widjojo in spite of the fact that the businessman is not yet eligible for parole.
Anggodo's prison term has been increased by the Supreme Court from five years to 10.
'Anggodo was imprisoned in 2010, meaning that he is only eligible to apply for parole after serving two-thirds of his prison term in 2017. But the ministry suspiciously granted him a 29-month sentence reduction so that he could meet the two-third requirement,' Emerson said.
- Activists blast Yudhoyono for allowing graft convicts to get parole
- Anggodo Widjojo not yet eligible for parole
- ICW urges ministry to come clean
ICW also lambasted the ministry for granting Anggodo a sentence reduction after serving six months in prison.
Only convicts in non-graft cases are eligible for sentence reductions after serving six months.
A graft convict may only receive a maximum one-month remission in his first year behind bars; two months in the second year; three months in the third year and four months in the fourth year, but Anggodo has accumulated a total of 29 months in four years.
Earlier on Friday, the KPK said that it had sent a letter to the ministry recommending that it reject Anggodo's parole request as it claimed that only justice collaborators, not the main perpetrators like Anggodo, could be released on parole.
The ministry's director general of penitentiaries, Handoyo Sudrajat, said that he would ignore the KPK's recommendation and process Anggodo's request.
'We will maintain our stance and move forward with Anggodo's request. We found that he is eligible for a parole, so we have no reason to reject his request,' Handoyo said.
Emerson shot back at Handoyo, saying that he had been subject to political pressure.
Emerson said as a former KPK deputy for prevention, Handoyo should have been aware that granting parole to graft convicts went against Yudhoyono's commitment to eradicating graft.
'If he is being pressured by a higher up then Pak Handoyo should resign from his position,'
Emerson said.
