Two Indonesian Ministers Named in Corruption Case

Hamka Yandhu, who was a member of Commission IX of the House of the 1999-2004 period, told a Corruption Court hearing on Monday (July 30) that Rp100 billion in Bank Indonesia funds were distributed to 52 other Commission-IX members at the time. … Recipients of the `bribes included two legislators who have now become ministers in President Susilo Bambang Yudhohono`s cabinet … [namely] Forestry Minister MS Kaban and [State Minister for National Development Planning (Bappenas)] Paskah Suzetta [...]

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) plans to summon both ministers regarding the bribe issue today (Monday, July 4) a meeting which the public are looking forward te seeing what kind of action the President would take against them.

It also would be a test case for Presiden SBY’s commitment and promise to fight against corruption.

Yudhoyono replaced justice minister Hamid Awaluddin and state secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra in May last year following a controversy about their link to graft cases.[...]

Whether the same fate will be applied to both scandalous ministers remain to be seen. That’s said, the stake is too high for President SBY if he let the ministers off the hook considering his plummeting popularity for his unpopular BBM (petrol) policy and with the 2009 general election in mind.

In short, strategically speaking Minister MS Kaban and Paskah Suzetta must be fired. President Yudhoyono should uncompromisingly show them where the exit door is. Whether in the end of the day they are really guilty or not is no longer relevant in this matter. A decision that applies otherwise will be seen by the public, that is the voters, as a symbol of weakness.

Update: The decision has been taken by President SBY about the two allegedly corrupt ministers. As reported by Jawa Pos, after summoning both ministers President SBY is still willing to let them scot free and run their daily jobs in the respective ministerial office at least for the time being until the court make them formally suspect in the case.

Obviously, the President SBY’s decision not to fire them right away was a step back from the previous decision as mentioned above. Beside a step back for the President credibility it’s also a step back for Indonesia’s effort to eradicate corruption.

Many analysts think that Presiden SBY’s ambiguous and indecisive decision this time because of Aulia Pohan’s alleged involvement. Aulia Pohan was former BI (Bank Indonesia) deputy governor (1999 – 2004) whose daughter is married to the President’s son.

Tags: aulia pohan, bappenas, corruption, ms kaban, paskah suzetta

This entry was posted on August 4, 2008 at August 4, 2008 and is filed under Blogger Indonesia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

kipas
August 9, 2008 at 2:46 am

Begitu parahnya korupsi di bangsa ini. Mau di bawa kemana nasib negeri ini…

Titah
August 17, 2008 at 7:52 am

mas, kalo bisa jangan di publish ke internasional dunk..dalam islam, menyebarkan aib kan dosaa..
ini saran saya ajah..

salam kenal

#orang luar lebih tahu dari kita di dalam soal ini.

Cakra
August 22, 2008 at 5:51 am

bwt mas titah… justru mata internasional.. sudah lebih tahu tentang kebusukan para petinggi negara kita ini,, jadi apa lgi yg perlu ditu2pi.. mata internasionaal lebih tajam dari ap yg kta ketahui… mw tau saya rekomendasikan tuk baca buku : confession of economic hit man.. jd jgn bawa islam yach.. salam mahasiswa fakultas hukum

Cakra
August 22, 2008 at 5:54 am

saya cuma mw bilang,, klo kasus suap dan korupsi para aparat,, khususnya jaksa, telah memblok aliran kepercayaan yang bermuara pada tersendatnya obyekan para jaksa yang lain…. salam mahasiswa fakultas hukum

Cakra
August 22, 2008 at 6:00 am

dari pada mikirin komen tentang korupsi,, mending mikirin hidup sehat aj… hidup kesehatan,, karena kita tidak bisa berbuat ap2 tanpa badan yg sehat… salam mahasiswa lg..hehe2 klo mw sehat