Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai Calls Corruptors In The Category Of Human Rights Violations

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai answered the question of wartawai at Graha Pengayoman, Jakarta, Tuesday (31/12/2024). BETWEEN/Fath Putra Mulya

JAKARTA - Human Rights Minister (HAM) Natalius Pigai said corruptors belong to the category of human rights violators because stealing state money can hinder the fulfillment of people's rights.

"The perpetrators are actually able to enter the category of human rights violators. Not serious human rights violators, yes. They committed human rights violations," Pigai said when met at Graha Pengayoman, Jakarta, Tuesday, December 31, during an agreement.

According to him, corruption correlates with the suffering of the people, poverty, health, and quality of education. The reason is, rampant corruption can disrupt the state's financial condition.

"This act causes the right to education, the right to health, the right to life, the right to free food, the right to build food self-sufficiency (and) energy to be hampered. We can't, please, we can't (corruption)," he said.

The statement was made by the Minister of Human Rights in response to journalists' questions regarding the recent verdicts of corruption defendants PT Timah Tbk, Harvey Moeis and Helena Lim, who have received public attention.

Pigai admits that he respects the independence and integrity of the panel of judges who decided the case. However, he could not deny the dissatisfaction of the community because the verdict handed down was deemed not to have fulfilled the sense of justice.

"There are concerns that we must express. I must convey that there is a concern about dissatisfaction in the public. Therefore, giving punishment must also be in accordance with the actions," he said.

He also admitted that he could understand the public's feelings. "Personally, as a minister, I say, we respect the legal process, but we honestly don't accept, feel empathy with the people and be with the people, seeing it as an unfair legal process," he stressed.

The panel of judges at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, Monday, December 23, sentenced Harvey Moeis to 6 years and 6 months in prison in a corruption case in the management of tin commodity trading in the mining permit (IUP) area of PT Timah Tbk in 2015 2022.

In addition to imprisonment, Harvey Moeis was also sentenced to a fine of Rp. 1 billion, subsidiary to 6 months in prison, as well as additional penalties in the form of payment of replacement money of Rp. 210 billion, subsidiary to 2 years in prison.

The judge's decision was lighter than the demands of the public prosecutor (JPU). Harvey was previously sentenced to 12 years in prison, a fine of Rp. 1 billion, a subsidiary of 1 year in prison, and a replacement money of Rp. 210 billion, subsidiary of 6 years in prison.

Meanwhile, PT Quantum Skyline Exchange Manager Helena Lim, Monday, December 30, was sentenced to five years in prison in the same case. Helena was also sentenced to a fine of Rp. 750 million, subsidiary to six months in prison and replacement money of Rp. 900 million, subsidiary to one year in prison.

The verdict is lower than the prosecutor's demand, which previously demanded that Helena be sentenced to eight years in prison, a fine of Rp1 billion, a subsidiary of one year in prison, and a replacement money of Rp210 billion, a subsidiary of four years in prison.