EXCLUSIVE-Indonesia disasters linked to corruption
27 Feb 2007 11:55:54 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds corruption surveys, foreign investors urged not to bribe) By Ed Davies and Mita Valina Liem JAKARTA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - A culture of corruption in Indonesia probably played a part in a recent string of fatal transport disasters and are a reminder of the need to keep battling graft, the head of the anti-corruption agency said. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won Indonesia's first direct presidential vote in October 2004 on a pledge to end corruption, but there have been concerns over the will across the administration to really follow through on the promise. A perception that the drive against graft was slowing could be due to the government having its hands full tackling recent transport and other disasters, said Taufiequrachman Ruki, who has headed the commission since its inception four years ago. But Ruki, a former top policeman, said in an interview on Tuesday that the accidents -- a passenger airliner believed to have crashed off Sulawesi island on New Year's Day and two ferry disasters -- have served to reinforce the agency's mission. "Look, don't see these kind of accidents as merely accidents. But they also represent the impact of reckless decision-making and indicate corruption in the procurement process." Yudhoyono has set up a commission to investigate safety in the creaking transport sector, which is beset with problems from overcrowding on boats to ageing infrastructure. "Indonesia is considered as one of the risky countries for investors. And the root of the problem is on law enforcement, corruption, bad infrastructure," said Ruki, wearing an Indonesian white and brown batik shirt. Experts consistently rate Indonesia as among the world's most corrupt nations and foreign executives cite graft as a key factor hurting attempts to attract badly needed investment as Jakarta struggles to ramp up growth rates to fight widespread poverty. The anti-corruption commission, known as KPK, has the power to make arrests, take over investigations from the police and fast-track sensitive cases. OFFICIALS ON SAME PAGE? Speaking in his plain offices in a building behind the white-painted presidential palace, Ruki said priority should be placed on cleaning up law enforcement and the judiciary. "Because when we have a strong law enforcement then we will have law certainty and good management. These two are the most important elements for investors to invest money in Indonesia." A survey by Transparency International of perceived corruption published late in 2006 put Indonesia at 130th place out of 163 nations, alongside Azerbaijan and Zimbabwe. A new survey of 32 Indonesian cities on Tuesday by a local unit of the group indicated that there has been an improvement in the commitment of regional governments against corruption but no significant improvement in perceived corruption. Since Yudhoyono's high-profile anti-graft campaign started, officials ranging from a former religious affairs minister to the governor of Aceh province have been jailed on corruption charges. But some critics also argue the anti-graft campaign has not taken on some powerful vested interests, while the administration has not always been on the same page over the issue. Vice President Jusuf Kalla complained in December that the civil service was grinding to a halt because the anti-corruption drive had left officials too scared to act. Ruki has also been involved recently in a public spat with a cabinet minister over procurement procedures. Referring to allegations of corruption against former president Suharto and his family, he said some of the allegations dated back before 1999 and were not under the agency's remit Indonesia had learnt some lessons from Hong Kong's respected anti-graft body, Ruki said, but added that it could not be a complete model for the developing country of 220 million people. Ruki's agency has 630 staff, including 180 outsourced employees, less than half of Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption. Ruki, who joked that his hair had turned considerably greyer since taking up the job, said some Indonesian bodies and political parties said they backed the agency, "but when one of their members becomes our suspects, they fight back vigorously". He also urged foreign investors coming to Indonesia not to compound the problem by bribing officials. A government move to raise pay of civil servants was an encouraging move, but more needed to be done, Ruki said. Experts say low civil servant salaries can encourage corruption. "I have to admit that the government has tried its best but as the corruption eradication chief, I say: 'It's not enough'." (Additional reporting by Ahmad Pathoni)
