In the ongoing struggle to reduce corruption and establish rule of law, we’ve seen two steps forward and one step back.
The building site for Jakarta’s new Administrative Court (PTUN) has been sealed, after authorities found that building permits had been faked (see Jakarta Post article here). This is apparently the first time a government building site has been subjected to sanctions by the Jakarta Building Supervision Agency. While the Court will no doubt be embarrassed by these events, the fact that it has been sanctioned and required to obtain a legitimate permit demonstrates that even the Courts are subject to the laws of the land, and represents a positive step forward.
Indonesia’s national police Chief General Sutarman has publicly reminded his police officers not to engage in corrupt activities in a speech last December (see photo below, from Jakarta Globe). Any moves to improve public perception of the police is welcome, particularly considering that according to a Jakarta Globe article (see here) the police force is regarded as one of the most corrupt institutions in Indonesia.
However, according to the same Jakarta Globe article, General Sutarman has also gone on record as supporting the prosecution of a University of Indonesia academic over comments made about corruption in the police force. Adrianus Meliala, criminologist at the University of Indonesia and member of the national police advisory board, made allegations about corruption in the General Crimes Division of West Java regional police (note: IP cases are heard by the Special Crimes Division). Making defamatory statements is a criminal offence in Indonesia, and it appears the police are willing to see this through the Court. This news, and the case if it is indeed prosecuted, will have a chilling effect on anyone minded to speak out against corruption , and a lack of public dialogue will only hamper efforts to tackle the corruption problem.