Always in awe of the hard and excellent work of ANSA-EAP Secretariat; this evening, in awe additionally of what Transparency International - Indonesia, under the direction of its leader Dadang Trisasongko (also a Trustee of ANSA-EAP), is doing with its trailblazing film project -- a feature length drama with famous actors addressing issues of corruption to be screened in cinemas!!! (Selfie photo: Jecel Censoro, in Bali for ANSA-EAP board meeting) - Theary Seng's Facebook

Countering Corruption in Indonesia

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD / International New York Times | 3 July 2014

The Jakarta Corruption Court handed down a life sentence to the former chief justice of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court, Akil Mochtar, for corruption and money laundering on Monday. This was the first time the Corruption Eradication Commission convinced the court to mete out life imprisonment to a graft defendant.

Indonesia is rife with corruption. According to a 2013 survey by Transparency International, Indonesia ranked 114th out of 177 countries, with the nation’s Parliament, its police and the judiciary considered the least trustworthy public institutions [not unlike here in the Kingdoom of Cambodia]. The court’s harsh verdict against someone with as high a ranking as Mr. Akil would hopefully serve to deter corruption.

Mr. Akil was found guilty of taking around $5 million in bribes in several cases linked to regional election disputes. An important function of the Constitutional Court is to decide on disputes in regional and national elections.

Until Mr. Akil’s arrest in October, the Constitutional Court and the Corruption Eradication Commission had a clean reputation. Indonesia created these institutions in the democratization process following the demise of the authoritarian Suharto regime in 1998. Ironically, decentralization of power to the regions as part of Indonesian democratization led to the rise of corrupt regional oligarchies to which Mr. Akil gave a helping hand.

The Constitutional Court could play a pivotal role in the hotly contested presidential election next weekin which corruption is a major issue. At least Mr. Akil will not be presiding over the court.