Public confidence in law enforcement

Public confidence in law enforcement took another dive this week after it was revealed that Labora Sitorus – a low ranking Papuan cop with US$119 million in bank accounts and sentenced to 15 years for illegal logging and hoarding fuel – had left the Sorong jail for medical treatment in March 2014 and not returned. Despite being put on the list of most wanted fugitives, it turned out he had been living openly at his mansion in Sorong for the last year and now insists he holds a release letter from the Sorong warden and is threatening to make public claims that he shared his ill gotten wealth with senior police officers in Papua and Jakarta.

Kompas - February 4, 2015

Criminalising the KPK

Many believe the police's attempts to criminalise the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after it named President Widodo's nominee for national police chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a graft suspect, is in response to the KPK stepping up its probe into the Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) corruption scandal. Gunawan is a former confidant of Widodo's patron and chairperson of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Megawati Sukarnoputri, who as president in 2002 issued 'release and discharge' letters freeing BLBI fund recipients from obligations to repay their debts.

Kompas - January 24, 2015

Legal process should be respected

Man: There's a political process, there's a legal process... how come the result is... really, what will the world say Mr?

Public anger and confusion is mounting over President Joko Widodo's decision to nominate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the next national police chief following a statement by Widodo Wednesday that the legal process should be respected, referring to the Corruption Eradication Commission's naming of Gunawan as a graft suspect, but that the political process should also be taken into account, after the House went ahead and unanimously endorsed his candidacy earlier in the day.

Kompas - January 17, 2015

Punishing the public

Goat: You can be sure that it won't be me that gets skewered and grilled!

Man: And you can sure it'll be us that suffer

Instead of addressing the chronic problems that plague Indonesia's accident prone aviation industry such as corrupt officials, poor maintenance oversight and outdated air traffic control systems following the crash of AirAsia flight QZ8501, Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has chosen punish the public by setting a cap on minimum ticket prices arguing that higher prices will somehow automatically ensure improved safety standards.

Kompas - January 10, 2015

Fight against corruption is stagnating

Man: Okay (headline reads 6% Economic Growth)

Government official: That's okay too (headline reads Corruption Index of 34)

Transparency International in its latest Corruption Perception Index – in which Indonesia ranked 107th out of 175 with a score of 34, slightly better than last year's 32 – has warned that the fight against corruption is stagnating saying the country needs to adopt radical anti-corruption measures in favour of its people and that high levels of graft pose a threat to the sustainability of its economy and fragile democracy.

Kompas - January 7, 2015