We need a new, more extraordinary approach. We must continue to improve the methods of corruption eradicationJakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called on related stakeholders to advance the methods of corruption eradication in a more remarkable manner.
"We need a new, more extraordinary approach. We must continue to improve the methods of corruption eradication," President Jokowi stated at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building on Thursday.
He conveyed the statement during the commemoration of World Anti-Corruption Day in which the attendees also comprised several ministers, KPK leaders, KPK Supervisory Board, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Office of the Attorney General, and other relevant officials.
"Do not only take action on viral violation of the law but also take fundamental and comprehensive action, with focus on proffering benefits to the public," he affirmed.
Jokowi later stressed on the importance of taking action in a firm and impartial manner, so that the perpetrators were brought to book whilst simultaneously keeping the best interests of the state in mind.
"It is also very important to save the state's money and recover state losses," he remarked.
The head of state also drew attention to asset recovery and an increase in Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP).
"Asset recovery and PNBP must also be prioritized for saving and recovering state finances as well as mitigating acts of corruption from the start," Jokowi emphasized.
Jokowi lauded the achievement of asset recovery from corruption crimes and an increase in PNBP during the first semester of 2021.
"For instance, the Office of the Attorney General has succeeded in recovering state losses of around Rp15 trillion from corruption cases, and the head of KPK has submitted a larger amount that was returned to the state through the KPK," Jokowi stated.
In his remarks, KPK Chairman Firli Bahuri noted that the agency had returned Rp2.6 trillion of the financial losses incurred by the state in 2021 and salvaged the likelihood of state losses to the tune of around Rp46.5 trillion.
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"We are all aware that corruption is an extraordinary crime that has an extraordinary impact. Hence, it must be handled in an extraordinary manner as well," Jokowi emphasized.
Taking into account the number of cases handled by law enforcement officers, Jokowi affirmed that the results were satisfactory since during the January - November 2021 period, the Police had investigated 1,032 corruption cases, and during the same period, the Office of Attorney General had probed 1,486 corruption cases.
"In this way, the KPK has handled several corruption cases," Jokowi added.
Meanwhile, Bahuri noted that in 2021, the KPK had conducted 109 investigations and 88 prosecutions, with a total of 121 suspects.
"Several major corruption cases have also been taken seriously. In the Jiwasraya case, for instance, the convicts have been executed and imprisoned by the Prosecutor's Office, and two of them have been sentenced to life, and we had returned the state's assets amounting to Rp18 trillion," Bahuri revealed.
In the Indonesian Armed Forces Insurance (Asabri) corruption cases, the suspects faced a 10-year prison term, death penalty, and were even necessitated to repay for the state losses reaching tens of trillions of rupiah, he stated.
Furthermore, for resolving the corruption case of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assistance (BLBI), the BLBI task force is also making all-out efforts to pursue state assets worth Rp110 trillion.
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Translator: Desca Lidya N, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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