The announcement comes following the recent disclosure of major corruption cases implicating officials at the tax office, National Police and the judiciary.

Corruption remains widespread in the government bureaucracy, shoring up Indonesia’s reputation as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar on Tuesday defended his support for the enforcement of capital punishment, which received the cold shoulder from rights activists.

Indonesian law stipulates that the death sentence can be handed down to major graft convicts in exceptional circumstances, such as during financial crises or major disasters.

Patrialis said people found embezzling disaster relief aid, for example, deserved the death penalty for the inhuman nature of their crime.

“In times of crisis, the country needs the vital resources to help survivors,” he said before meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace.

Other crimes punishable by death include murder, terrorism and drugs-related offences.

Yudhoyono, who won international accolade for his efforts to eradicate corruption, summoned Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati Tuesday to review the latest developments in the fight against graft.

The judicial system has often come under fire for handing down lenient sentences to graft convicts.

The most severe was the 20-year prison sentence for Urip Tri Gunawan handed down by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2008. Urip was found guilty of accepting Rp 6 billion from a businesswoman.

Many graft convicts receive prison terms of around 4 years. District courts have come under criticism for handing down even lighter sentences or even acquittals.

Patrialis said the death sentence did not violate the Constitution.

Commenting on the issue, the secretary of the presidential Judicial Corruption Taskforce, Denny Indrayana, expressed approval that the government favored heavier punishment for graft convicts.

However, he expressed doubts that the death sentence could be imposed in practice.

“We have to consider human rights objections to the death penalty,” he said.

Indonesia Corruption Watch activist Adnan Topan Husodo said he disagreed with imposing the death sentence for corruption convicts.

He said capital punishment violated human rights and the people’s sense of justice.

Moreover, he said, the death sentence was no longer compatible with principles of modern democracy that Indonesia rigorously pursued.

“It would be better for the government to implement other forms of punishment that could act as deterrents.

“The legal system should also ensure that the state can recover the embezzled money,” Adnan said, adding that a life sentence would be better.

“An option would be to make the convict repay the money twice what they embezzled, for example.”

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