Abraham Samad Calls Asset Confiscation Law Important To Restore State Losses And Poor Corruptors

Former Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Abraham Samad (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Former Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Abraham Samad said the Asset Confiscation Bill (RUU) should soon be ratified into law by the Indonesian House of Representatives. This regulation is needed to eradicate corruption in the country.

"This should be a top priority because if we want to eradicate corruption with the aim of returning assets and then recovering state losses and impoverishing corruptors, what should be done immediately becomes a law for confiscation of assets," Abraham told reporters quoted on Friday, November 1.

Likewise with the Bill on Limiting Kartal Money, continued Abraham Samad. These two regulations are considered to have synergy in efforts to eradicate corruption so that it must be ratified simultaneously.

Thus, the DPR RI was asked to immediately discuss these two laws. "It must be (discussed also the Bill on Limiting Kartal Money, ed), so synergy, so at the same time it can prevent corruption," he said.

"Then second, it can accelerate the recovery of state assets stolen by corruptors. Actually that's what's important," continued Abraham.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian House of Representatives, Deputy Chairperson of the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Ahmad Doli Kurnia, felt that the 'trade' diction in the Asset Confiscation Bill was inappropriate and had negative meaning. This statement was delivered in a public hearing (RDPU) with a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Monday, October 31.

"If you look at the funnyness, the Asset Confiscation Law, is the confiscation diction good for this country? If we meet people every day, confiscated or seize, it applies, either or not," said Doli at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta.

Doli said he was not a legal expert. However, he has read the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) ratification and stated that there is no 'trapping' diction but'recovery'.

"That language is a stolen asset recovery. If recovery is a recovery," he said.

"Then why do we choose the word confiscation over the recovery listed at UNCAC," continued the Golkar Party politician.

It didn't stop there, Doli also questioned the urgency of discussing the Asset Confiscation Bill. Because, currently there are many laws that are considered to have strengthened efforts to eradicate corruption.

"When it comes to eradicating corruption, we already have money laundering offenses, for example the Anti-Corruption Law. The question is whether we still need to add other laws, including the matter of confiscation of assets," he said.

"So, for those who propose to confiscate assets, we try to give input, from the title alone, we still don't need to use confiscation," concluded Doli.