Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) stated that it encouraged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to also focus on investigating cases causing large state financial losses apart from arrest operations.

"In our research, we criticize the Corruption Eradication Commission, so that it does not only focus on (arrest) operations but cases with large state financial losses must also be a priority for their work," ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana stated during a virtual discussion at the launch of the research titled "The Urgency of Arrangements for Seizure of Collateral in Handling of Corruption Crimes," as seen here on Tuesday.

The ICW researcher deemed this measure as necessary to be taken, as data on the total state financial losses caused by corruption in 2020 indicated that most cases were actually handled by the Attorney General's Office, with a refund of state financial losses of Rp118 billion.

Ramadhana remarked that in addition to imposing criminal penalties on the corruptors, the recovery of state finances also should be addressed as part of the efforts to eradicate corruption since the most fundamental motive of corruption was economic issues.

He also pointed out that the ICW and several academics had implored the government to revise Law No. 20 of 2001 on Corruption Acts in order to support the agenda of state financial recovery.

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"There must be improvements to several points in the Anti-Corruption Law or the ratification of regulations to support the agenda for recovering state financial losses," Ramadhana emphasized.

The ICW researcher also highlighted the need to ratify the Draft Law on Limitation of Currency Transactions and the Bill on Confiscation of Criminal Assets.

"We ICW (members) are very confident that these three laws (revision of the Anti-Corruption Law and the ratification of the Bill on Limiting Currency Transactions and the Bill on the Confiscation of Criminal Assets) will significantly support the work of the Indonesian National Police, the Attorney General's Office, and the Corruption Eradication Commission in uncovering and ensuring that the (compensation) of state financial losses can run well," he affirmed.

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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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