After Being Formed, The Corruptor Hunting Team Is Considered To Have 6 Months To Prove Its Performance

JAKARTA - The discourse of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD to revive the corruptor hunting team was responded to by the coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Boyamin Saiman. Boy said whether or not this team was able to hunt down fugitive corruptors had to be proven during the first 6 months after being formed.

"We'll give it a maximum of 6 months. If you can't afford it, don't waste your energy, your mind is a waste of your budget. If you can't, disband it," Boyamin told VOI, Wednesday, May 15.

He considered that there was only one fugitive who was asked by the community to be immediately arrested, namely the defendant in the Cessie Bank Bali case, Djoko Tjandra, who was slippery like an eel. "If you don't arrest Djoko Tjandra, it will be like playing around because currently people want a fugitive who must be arrested is Djoko Tjandra," he said.

"If Edy Tansil and others wait. Most importantly, Djoko Tjandra can be arrested," he added.

Boyamin is also pessimistic that this team will be able to catch fugitives like Djoko Tjandra. The reason is because this team will not be very useful and earnest in pursuing fugitives abroad. He also assessed that the government does not need to create a team because it is considered not on target and effective.

Some time ago, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Wana Alamsyah considered that this team did not need to be reactivated. Because, apart from being ineffective because it was only able to capture 4 out of 16 targets, there were concerns that this team would overlap with existing teams.

"The policies of this new team have the potential to overlap in terms of authority," said ICW researcher Wana Alamsyah.

Moreover, since 1996-2018 there have been 40 fugitive corruption cases who have not been arrested by law enforcers. So, instead of creating a new team, the existing law enforcers should be strengthened.

Apart from that, taking a non-formal approach with the government or law enforcement in other countries is also deemed necessary. Because according to Wana, this is useful so that other countries want to help and speed up the arrest of dozens of fugitives who have fled abroad.

"Don't let the current pandemic state, efforts to create a new taskforce will be counterproductive," he said.

Meanwhile, member of Commission III of the Democratic Party Faction, Didik Mukrianto, in fact considered the activation of this team to hunt for fugitive corruptors as necessary and relevant.

"The corruptor hunting team is still very relevant and needed as an effort to optimize corruption eradication efforts," Didik told reporters.

He said that the activation of this team was a form of fulfilling the government's commitment to eradicating corruption by catching fugitive corruptors.

In addition, the team which will be led by Kemenkopolhukam and consisting of a number of law enforcement officials such as the Attorney General's Office and the Police should be able to prevent potential corruption in the future.

However, he reminded the people who fill this team must be those who have the best and impeccable track records. "In order to avoid various pressures, temptations and seductions from corruptors who have the potential to influence and control team members," he said.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said that he would reactivate the corruptor hunting team to arrest the convicted person in the Bank Bali case, Djoko Sugiarto Tjandra, who is still at large. This team, he said, would consist of the leadership of the AGO and Kemenkumham under the coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

He conveyed this after meeting representatives of the Presidential Staff Office, Police, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, and the Attorney General's Office in his office on Wednesday, July 8 yesterday.

The existence of this team is expected to be a solution to arrest Djoko Tjandra and other fugitives. "Maybe in the not too distant future the corruptor hunting team will bring in people and in time will hunt down Djoko Tjandra," Mahfud said at the time.