IO, Jakarta – High Prosecutor ST Burhanuddin gives input on transforming law enforcement in Indonesia. He reiterates that the mitigation of corruption should be focused on prevention instead of punishment, as this would improve the law enforcement system. “In the future, the handling of a case should not simply end with the imprisonment of the violator and returning the losses sustained by the State. It must also be able to provide a solution for improving the system, which would ensure that the violation would not be repeated,” Burhanuddin stated in the Indonesia Onward (Cabinet) National Coordination Meeting held in Sentul International Convention Center on Wednesday (13/11). “In other words, law enforcement policies, especially those in the Prosecutor’s Office and in relation to corruption, will shift its focus from punishment towards prevention.”
However, “It does not mean that we will forgo punishment just because we have shifted our focus. If there is still corruption at any time in any region, I will take action,” he said.
Furthermore, the performance of prosecutors would no longer be focused on the number of cases being handled, but on how to ensure that a region is corruption free. “I will emphasize my efforts on making your region free from corruption. There will be no more operational target, no more making up excuses and quarreling about who must do what,” he said.
Burhanuddin further asked the High Prosecutor’s Office and the District Prosecutor’s Office to monitor all regional regulations that might potentially obstruct investment into Indonesia. He reiterates that the Prosecutor’s Office has the authority to perform legal audits of regional regulations. “I am asking my colleagues the honored the District Prosecutors and High Prosecutors to recall that we have the duty, the authority on legal matters. We have the duty to perform a legal audit on regional regulations, especially those that obstruct investments. They should know better than to play around the issue,” he said.
Burhanuddin finally request that his people pay attention to State assets and implement IT-based service in order to monitor better against corruption. “Let’s uphold and return the dignity of law enforcement,” he said. (des)