Speaking after his meeting with KPK commissioners on Monday, Wantimpres member Sidarto Danusubroto said the antigraft body was still needed in Indonesia. He said the commission’s role eradicating corruption in the country even needed to be strengthened.

“The KPK is needed for the development of this nation, so we are against all attempts to degrade its role and existence,” he told journalists at the State Palace.

Sidarto said Wantimpres would push for the immediate adoption of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Indonesia had ratified the UNCAC in September 2006, but had not yet adopted it.

“If we adopt the UNCAC, KPK investigators can extend their actions to private corporations, not only be limited to government institutions, just like what Hong Kong and South Korea have done. Ninety percent of their corruption cases come from private enterprises,” he said.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said he welcomes the support from Wantimpres. He said the 2002 KPK Law revision should strengthen the commission instead of weakening it.

“The revision should not increase the gap between our anticorruption law and the UNCAC. Instead, the government should issue a law to implement the UNCAC as soon as possible,” Agus said.

Wantimpres chairman Sri Adiningsih said corruption problems had spread to local administrations. Indonesia still had from 20 to 40 percent financial leakage from its state budgets. “With such an amount of money, we can build this nation for our next generation,” she said. (ebf)

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia