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Lawmaker slammed for suggesting graft immunity for law enforcers
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Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) politician Arteria Dahlan
(Courtesy of House of Representatives (DPR)/-)
D
ivisive lawmaker Arteria Dahlan of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) stirred up debate last week on the possibility of granting law enforcers immunity from graft sting operations.
According to local media reports, Arteria suggested in a webinar on Thursday that police officers, prosecutors and judges be exempted from sting operations – usually carried out by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to catch perpetrators in the act – due to their being “symbols” of the state’s law-enforcement system.
“Their dignity [as members of the state law-enforcement apparatus] must be maintained,” Arteria later clarified on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Arteria said the government should use a different method of apprehending graft offenders because sting operations were prone to being skewed by political motives and because they caused distrust among government agencies.
His comments did not go down well among supporters of the antigraft movement, although he insists he was not trying to condone corruption or put anyone above the law.
Kurnia Ramadhana, a researcher at Indonesia Corruption Watch, dismissed the “illogical” comment as being in conflict with legal principles.
“Equality before the law should mean everyone is the same in the eyes of the law, even if they are law enforcers,” Kurnia said on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com.
