ANALYSIS - Indonesia's police scandal is a chance for reform

Thu, Nov 5 04:53 PM

Enlarge Photo Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono speaks at a news conference at the presidential office in...

A gripping scandal in Indonesia's notoriously corrupt law enforcement agencies could pave the way for reform of the police and attorney-general's office, speeding up the fight against graft and helping to attract investment.

Analysts and reformers said a plot to undermine the country's respected anti-corruption agency by framing two of its senior officials gives President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono an excuse to make top-down, sweeping changes in the attorney-general's office and police.

On Thursday, Yudhoyono told a news conference his government would tackle legal reform as part of its 100-day programme by eradicating the "legal mafia" -- a reference to the network of corrupt judges, lawyers and law enforcers who pervert the country's legal system.

If Yudhoyono shakes up Indonesia's law enforcement institutions and appoints officials known for their integrity and commitment to reform, he would improve investor confidence in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

The police, judiciary, and courts rank among the country's most corrupt institutions, and foreign firms frequently cite corruption and legal uncertainty as deterrents to investing in Indonesia, despite its abundant natural resources and large, relatively cheap labour pool.

Such is the reputation of the police that few ordinary Indonesians go to the police for help when they are in trouble.

If you are burgled and ask the police for help, they are likely to ask for an upfront "fee" to cover their expenses.

The issue of corruption in the police and attorney-general's office came to a head this week following a police investigation of the anti-corruption agency.

PEOPLE POWER

Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Riyanto, two of the four deputy chiefs at the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, were detained last week. Police said they were suspected of graft and abuse of power.

The two men denied the allegations and in their defence, they submitted tapes to the Constitutional Court of conversations between a businessman and several people alleged to be in the police and the attorney-general's office, in which the various players discussed plans to undermine the KPK.

President Yudhoyono appointed an independent team of respected experts to investigate the police handling of the case.

On Thursday, Susno Duadji, the national police's chief of detectives, and Abdul Hakim Ritonga, the deputy attorney general -- who were among the various law enforcement agency officials named in the tapes -- resigned, according to officials, following the recommendations of the investigating team.

Hundreds of Indonesians came out on streets across the country in protest, and half a million joined a Facebook campaign in support of the two anti-corruption agency officials.

This kind of public outcry has not been seen since the late 1990s when Indonesians took to the streets in protest against the authoritarian and corrupt former president, Suharto.

"Every Indonesian from school child to great grandparents knows the system is corrupt. What they rarely get to see is indisputable evidence of precisely how it's done," said Jeffrey Winters, professor in political economy at Northwestern University, Chicago.

"There is absolutely nothing new about this except that it is completely in the open for the first time. It's astonishing that the Constitutional Court has played these tapes aloud."

Neither Duadji nor Ritonga could be reached for comment, but the resignations are significant because it is almost unheard of for a senior Indonesian official to step down or be accountable.

"The resignation should be positive in terms of attracting foreign direct investment," said Fauzi Ichsan, economist at Standard Chartered Bank in Jakarta.

"In the long run, the resignations should help reinforce efforts to eradicate corruption."

Now, investors and ordinary citizens are waiting to see what President Yudhoyono does next, and whether he uses the scandal to squash any doubts about his commitment to reform and tackling corruption.

(Additional reporting by Sunanda Creagh and Olivia Rondonuwu; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

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