"The case of the corruption fugitive, Djoko Tjandra, is a slap in the face of law enforcers because it seemed as if he has had the power to use his money to buy the loyalty of legal officials," he said in Jakarta on Monday.
The Coordinating Minister made the statement at the inauguration of three Echelon I officials at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs in Jakarta.
He acknowledged that the Djoko Tjandra escape case, which has become a matter of great concern among the public in the last two months, has been a harsh slap to Indonesian law enforcers.
Speaking on the flight of Tjandra, who has been convicted in the transfer of collection rights (cessie) corruption case at Bank Bali, he said he had finished presenting and executing the convict at a correctional facility.
The next task for the government, he said, is to process other crimes allegedly committed by Tjandra, the corrupt prosecutors, as well as the police and other institutions.
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The Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs coordinates, synchronizes, and controls the course of the criminal process, he said.
"It should be remembered that the position of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs is (that of an agency for) coordination, synchronization, and control. The ministry is not a law enforcement agency. Law enforcement agencies are the police, prosecutors, the anti-graft body, and courts, plus lawyers, according to the law," he explained.
Speaking to Echelon I officials from the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, he emphasized that the government, and especially the ministry, will continue to encourage strict application of the law on law enforcement officers involved in the Tjandra case.
Mahfud urged the new officials, especially the Deputy for Legal and Human Rights Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, to help synergize law enforcement institutions, both the prosecutor offices, the police, and the anti-graft body.
“The arrest of Djoko Tjandra is a good momentum to improve integrity and increase the positive image of law enforcement. Let us prove to the public that the government is paying serious attention to evaluating the performance of law enforcers,” the minister said.
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Translator: Zuhdiar Laeis/Aria Cindyara
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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