So totally KPK has already saved minimally Rp6.2 trillion so far.
Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has saved minimally Rp5.4 trillion in state assets from 2008 to 2010, its chief, Busyro Muqoddas, said.

"That excludes Rp822 billion in non-tax state income from cases of corruption and gratification submitted to state coffers or regional governments," he said here on Wednesday.

So totally KPK has already saved minimally Rp6.2 trillion so far, he said after a seminar on national character and culture.

"The amount is enough for providing 91,000 free houses for people or 156.4 million liters of free milk for under nourished children," he said.

It could also be used to provide free schooling for 31 million elementary school children for a year and 1,250 million liters of rice for people facing food shortages.

Busryo said corruption in the country could no longer be categorized as an extraordinary crime but "a crime against humanity" and therefore its eradication had to be started from universities.

He said most of corruption cases so far were committed by echelon one, two and three officials who were products of universities.

At the seminar at state Semarang University Eman Suparman from the Judicial Commission meanwhile said that the anti-corruption efforts so far had not yet produced deterrent effects because the penalty given to corruption convicts did not match with the damage the corrupter had made.

For comparison he referred to cases in other countries where thieves could have their hands cut off in order to prevent them from repeating their crime and to give a deterrent effect.

He said it seemed a harsher sentence would be needed because a prison and compensation payment seemed to be considered still a too light penalty.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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