Edition 16: Law Revision Makes Parole More Accessible to Corruption Convicts
Law Revision Makes Parole More Accessible to Corruption Convicts
Source: Coconuts
Activists are saying the government is being soft on corruption after the Ministry for Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) granted parole to 23 graft convicts, including a former public prosecutor who will walk free after just a year in prison despite an initial 10-year sentence.
A spokesperson for the ministry’s Directorate General for Corrections Facilities, Rika Apriyanti, justified the early release by saying that the 23 convicts were just a fraction of the 1,368 convicts who were granted parole, conditional leave, and other privileges this month.
This was made possible by Law No. 22 of 2022 concerning Corrections (UU Pemasyarakatan) which allows prisoners not convicted of an ‘extraordinary crime’ (e.g. terrorism, drug trafficking) who meet good behavior requirements certain benefits from remission (i.e. shortened sentences) to parole.
Parole rules for corruptors were previously provided for under Government Regulation (PP) No. 99 of 2012, which requires convicted corruptors to become justice collaborators (i.e. help authorities in solving other corruption cases and in corruption prevention).
However, this regulation was struck down by the Supreme Court for being differential in its treatment of convicts.
Boyamin Saiman, Coordinator of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI), said that parole restrictions on graft convicts are necessary to stop corruption from being seen as an ordinary crime that carries a light jail sentence.
While this has caused some controversy among activists and the larger public, The Minister for Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly said that the government cannot intervene with the decision of the Supreme Court and cancel the parole of the 23 convicts.
The revision of the parole requirements follows the government’s weakening of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 2019, making the fight against corruption more challenging.
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What Is Up, Indonesia?
🌎 Politics & International Relations
Philippine President Visits Indonesia: Controversial Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had a three-day state visit, his first official overseas trip, aimed at reinforcing the economic and security ties between the two maritime neighbors.
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Pertamina in Talks for Oil Deal with Russia: State-owned energy company Pertamina is in talks to import Russian oil domestic energy demand has soared. According to the US Treasury, Indonesia has already imported Russian oil at around a 30% discount. Experts fear that this move could make Indonesia liable to US sanctions.
Anies Summoned by KPK: The Governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, said that he would comply with a summon from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in its preliminary investigations on graft allegations surrounding the Formula E project.
📈 Economics, Business & Technology
Indonesian Markets Outperform: Indonesian markets have become darlings for domestic and foreign investors, outperforming other indexes amidst a bullish market streak due to high commodity and energy prices. The marked cashed in $2.65 billion amidst a global downturn.
Rich Indonesians Holding on Crypto: 40% of high-income Indonesians say they plan to increase their portfolio allocation of crypto despite the downturn in the industry and changing sentiment of usually crypto-hungry users in Hong Kong and Singapore.
🏛️ Society & Culture
First Batch of High Speed Trains Arrive from China: Despite delays and overblown budgets, the first batch of Chinese-made high-speed trains for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway project have just arrived in Jakarta.
Hacker Spats with the Indonesian Government: Major hacks involving state owned enterprises and government offices have intensified in recent weeks, with the government denying the validity of the attacks despite verification from independent security researchers.
What We're Reading
Given this week’s news about Indonesia’s deal to import Russian gas, we thought we’d turn back to international relations this week. Two months out from the G20, experts still have varying opinions on the quality of Indonesian diplomacy in the lead up to the major summit.
A Balancing Power: Indonesia Needs to Focus First on Ensuring G20 Run Smoothly Amid Great Power Rivalry: “The Indonesian government is under the impression that, to ensure the meeting of countries representing 85% of the global GDP runs well, it has to somehow become a peacemaker between the warring countries.” - Mireille Marcia Karman (Parahyangan Catholic University), The Conversation
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