*IBRAHIM ISA'S – SELECTED NEWS & VIEWS*
*Wednesday, 07 April 2010*
*------------------------------------------------------------------*
*-- A disgraced police official turns on his former buddies *
*-- Megawati denies rift with husband*
**-- Bust corruption at tax office, SBY orders **
**-- From Gayus Tambunan to critical literacy**
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*A disgraced police official turns on his former buddies *
Monday, 05 April 2010
Jakarta Globe:
Susno Duadji A disgraced police official turns on his former buddies
If there was ever an unlikely reformer, it is Susno Duadji, formerly the
Indonesian National Police head of detectives, who was caught dead to
rights by the country's anti-corruption agency for helping key officials
ensnared in the notorious Bank Century scandal to flee the country.
Susno was forced out of his position because of the scandal and was
lucky he wasn't indicted. He remains in limbo in an unspecified capacity
with the national police force.
But in the wake of his ouster, Susno has suddenly started blowing the
whistle on his former associates. His revelations have caused an uproar
in the entire national law enforcement establishment as he grants
interviews to virtually every news organization that wants to listen.
What he is delivering has nothing to do with a sudden about turn in
conscience. It appears to have more to do with injured pride and the
machinations against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's reform team by
the Golkar Party, headed by coal tycoon Aburizal Bakrie.
In March, Susno raised a storm by accusing three police officials, then
identified only by their rank and initials – which meant it wouldn't be
hard to figure out who they were -- of taking bribes from a mid-ranking
tax official named Gayus Tambunan to bury a criminal probe after he was
discovered to have Rp28 billion (US$3.1 million) in his bank account.
The case has since ensnared the Attorney General's Office, top officials
of the National Police and the Tangerang District Court as well the
Directorate General of Taxation and a number of companies.
Despite the revelations over Tambunan's bank accounts, the Tangerang
District Court acquitted the tax official of embezzlement on March 12
and he promptly left Jakarta for Singapore with Susno sounding the
alarm. Tambunan surrendered to police in Singapore. On Friday, the
national police chief dismissed Police Brig. Gen. Edmond Ilyas, the
former head of economic crimes, from his new job as Lampung Police Chief
on information based on Susno's accusations. Brig. Gen. Radja Erisman,
the current director of economic crimes, is also believed to have been
implicated by Susno, partly because he unfroze Tambunan's bank accounts,
which allowed him to flee. Ilyas and Erismana have filed criminal
defamation complaints against Susno over his allegations, saying they
were innocent of the charges.
Reportedly investigators have evidence that Ilyas received at least
Rp1.1 billion from Tambunan and Andi Kosasih, a Batam businessman who
was said to be "helpful in connecting entrepreneurs with officials,
especially entrepreneurs who have difficulty in obtaining business
licenses."
Two more police officials, Comdr. Arafat Enanie and Adj. Comr. Sri
Sumartini, are also suspects after it turned out that they questioned
Tambunan in the relaxed atmosphere of Jakarta hotels rather than at
National Police headquarters during the earlier probe of the tax
official. Enanie is said to have received a Harley-Davidson motorcycle,
a Toyota Fortuner and a house from Tambunan, a police source said. "We
already seized all of that as evidence, while Sumartini got Rp100
million in cash, which she used to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca." Arafat
is also said to have received bribes from PT Mega Cipta Jaya Garmindo, a
company that allegedly transferred funds into Gayus's accounts.
The Attorney General's Office is equally embarrassed over the way its
prosecutors handled the case that ended with Tambunan's acquittal. Last
week, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji was forced to stumble into a
statement that they had not been bribed to dismiss the charges. Instead,
he blamed "thoughtlessness," saying they were overloaded with big cases.
The falling police officials led Eliswan Azly, a columnist writing for
Antara, the government-owned and operated news service, to write that
Susno had shown "unprecedented courage in publicly disclosing
case-brokering practices in the police force" and quoted officials
recommending that he take up the post of Head of the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK),which became vacant after the former
anti-graft chief, Antasari Azhar, was convicted of arranging the murder
of a rival for an attractive female golf caddy's affections.
Despite Antasari's conviction, the KPK is widely considered to be the
most unbuyable public agency in Indonesia. It was Susno, during the Bank
Century case, who did his best to wreck the agency, ordering the arrest
of two KPK commissioners who had wiretap evidence that he had been
advising corrupt officials at the bank and helping one of them to escape
to Singapore.
Susno's candidacy is being pushed from behind the scenes by Golkar,
which remains a component of the national ruling coalition headed by
Yudhoyono. Despite its seeming loyalty to Yudhoyono, however, Golkar, at
Bakrie's behest, spent months embroiled in a House of Representatives
probe of Yudhoyono's two most important reformers, Vice President
Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati over allegations of
their complicity in the Bank Century affair. The government poured more
than US$710 million into the effort to save the ailing bank during the
2008 global financial crisis. Yudhoyono managed to retain the two
officials despite the investigation and pressure from Golkar.
The KPK is a particular bête noir of Susno's. The agency wiretapped
Susno in connection to a graft case involving fugitive businessman
Anggoro Widjojo, the director of a company called PT Mararo Radiokom,
who allegedly bribed at least four lawmakers and several forestry
ministry officials in connection with an Rp180 billion (US$12.7 million)
radio communication system procurement project for the Forestry
Ministry. Anggoro fled the country for Singapore.
Anti-corruption reportedly discovered that Susno had met with Anggoro in
Singapore three days after the agency named had him a suspect in the
bribery case.
Susno promptly ordered the two KPK officials arrested for allegedly
abusing their powers. It was only after weeks of vacillation and rising
public anger that Yudhoyono finally came down on the officials' side and
Susno was pushed out.
Now Susno is pushing back. He has also said two police brigadier
generals have been acting as case brokers in money laundering and tax
evasion cases. Watch this space.
"Despicable slimeball as he is, Susno deserves all our support and
encouragement for the time being," wrote a blogger who writes on the
"Unspun" site. "This is because he is the guy who knows where all the
skeletons are buried in the Police Force. And now that he's been done
out of a career in the Police Force, sacrificed, as it were by fellow
slimeballs and corrupt officers, he's now out for revenge by spilling
the beans on his former comrades."
/
With reporting from Jakarta Globe/
*Megawati denies rift with husband*
*Hans David Tampubolon* , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar, Bali | Mon,
04/05/2010
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) paramount leader
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday played down her conflict with her
husband Taufik Kiemas, who is also the party's chief adviser, over
whether the party should align with the ruling coalition.
Megawati said Taufik aimed to add color to the PDI-P congress, set to
open Tuesday, by raising the issue of a possible coalition with the
Democratic Party — a party founded by Megawati's nemesis, President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"If [the congress] is not colorful, it would be no fun," Megawati said
at the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur, Bali, where the congress is
scheduled to take place.
Megawati also denied speculation that the differences between her and
Taufik had split the family.
Megawati has reportedly nominated her son, Prananda Prabowo, for a key
post in the next party structure, while Taufik wants his biological
daughter Puan Maharani to take the position.
April 06, 2010
Nivell Rayda, Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Anita Rachman
PDI-P Lawmaker Says Fellow Party Members Tried to Cover Up Bribery
On the eve of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's national
congress in Bali, one party member told the Anti-Corruption Court at his
trial on Monday that two fellow party members tried to cover up a major
bribery case.
Lawmaker Dudhie Makmun Murod, a member of the party, also known as the
PDI-P, told the court that Trimedya Panjaitan, a member of the House of
Representatives' legal commission, recently visited him in his cell at
the Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta and asked him to lie under oath.
"Later [in court] you must use your right to say what you want, you must
protect your brothers and your brothers will protect you," Dudhie quoted
Trimedya as having told him.
Speaking in Bali, Trimedya denied the allegation, saying he was just
"visiting a party cadre in trouble," adding that they had not discussed
any specific issues.
"I never asked him to do that," he said, adding that he did not visit
Dudhie alone.
"I went there with TK. It was TK who asked me to join him and visit
Dudhie," Trimedya told the Jakarta Globe, referring to Taufik Kiemas,
the party's advisory board chairman and husband of the PDI-P's founder
and chairwoman, former President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Amir Karyatin, Dudhie's lawyer, confirmed that Taufik had come to the
cell with Trimedya.
KPK prosecutors have accused Dudhie and three other defendants of having
received a total of Rp 24 billion ($2.64 million) in bribes to get
economist Miranda Goeltom elected as Bank Indonesia senior deputy
governor. Miranda won 41 out of the 51 votes of House Commission XI,
which oversees finance and banking.
Dudhie claimed Trimedya had been sent by another senior PDI-P lawmaker,
Panda Nababan, whom he has accused of receiving Rp 1.45 billion
($159,500) in traveler's checks, which Panda has denied.
Binsar Toras Simaringan, Panda's former personal assistant who cashed 28
checks worth Rp 1.45 billion soon after the vote, told the court the
money went to Komaruddin, a former editor at Prioritas daily, where
Panda formerly worked as deputy chief editor.
Meanwhile, Judge Nina Indrawati asked KPK prosecutors to conduct an
assessment of the condition of businesswoman Nunun Nurbaetie Daradjatun,
whose husband said she had been suffering from severe amnesia for three
years.
The KPK suspects Nunun distributed 480 checks to the four defendants,
who later distributed them to members of their respective parties. She
has ignored two court summons.
"We need to have a second opinion," Nina told senior prosecutor Muhammad
Rum.
---------------
*Bust corruption at tax office, SBY orders *
Erwida Maulia , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 04/06/2010
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered on Monday a full-fledged
probe into corruption at the tax office following disclosure of a
suspicious Rp 28 billion in the account of an employee.
It was the first time Yudhoyono made a public statement on the graft
case implicating the tax employee Gayus Tambunan, senior police
officers, prosecutors and lawyers.
While addressing a cabinet meeting, Yudhoyono described the corruption
case "as an obstacle to development which must be removed".
"Law enforcement institutions and the Judicial Anti-Corruption Taskforce
should tackle the issue seriously, make regular progress and report to
me," he told members of the Cabinet attending a meeting.
The tax office, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office
have been taking disciplinary action against individuals implicated in
the case widely seen as a sign of failure in administrative reform
processes.
The Finance Minister dishonorably fired Gayus on Monday. A media
statement released by the ministry said he was dismissed because he had
"abused his authority".
Gayus is suspected of accepting bribes from big tax payers seeking his
favor to evade tax or pay less than they are supposed to pay.
Ten tax officials have been undergoing internal investigations. The
National Police have suspended several officers and arrested Gayus, two
businessmen and their then lawyers.
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, who has been under attack for his
slow response to the high profile case, announced Monday that his office
had questioned "between five and 10" prosecutors suspected of
collaborating with Gayus, police investigators and lawyers to acquit him
of money laundering and embezzlement charges last month.
Hendarman said that the complexity of the case had forced him to take
more time to "carefully" examine the implicated prosecutors.
"We hope that tomorrow [today] we will already have the result and by
Wednesday we'll decide what punitive measures we will take against them
and on Thursday we can announce who is suspended and so on," he said.
Attorney General's Office spokesman Didiek Darmanto said a team of
prosecutors planned to question, his then lawyer and police
investigators to find prosecutors who were involved in the conspiracy.
Didiek said the questioning would take place at the National Police
headquarters. He added that the team would find out if the police had
managed to gather convincing evidence to charge Gayus.
"We need to find out whether the prosecutors have done their duties
properly or not," he said.
Hendarman had earlier said that the team of prosecutors had sensed
irregularities in the investigation of Gayus that led to his acquittal.
Led by Sutan Burhanuddin, the team had questioned the prosecutors who
had handled the case from the beginning. Among the allegedly implicated
prosecutors were Cirus Sinaga, Fadil Regan, Eka Kurnia Sukmasari, Ika
Safitri Salim, Nasran Aziz, Irvan Jaya, Sriyono, Dita Prawitaningsih and
Novarida.
------
*From Gayus Tambunan to critical literacy*
Joseph Ernest Mambu , Salatiga | Tue, 04/06/2010
The case of recently detained tax official Gayus Tambunan, allegedly
involved in embezzling billions of rupiah, has further highlighted the
urgent necessity of character education, which was revived again some
time ago after a spate of plagiarism at university level.
Being of a similar age to the 30-year-old new tycoon, I share almost the
same experience of primary, secondary and tertiary education. That is,
we are both products of the predominantly top-down culture, thanks to
Soeharto's New Order regime.
I suspect he was a brand-new college student in 1998 (I was in my third
year) when Soeharto's de jure reign was over, leading to the advent of
the so-called "Reformation Era".
The problem is that many of us, fellow young Indonesians, are still
deeply rooted in Soeharto's de facto character to varying degrees.
Though as an ethnic Batak, Gayus may not have thoroughly understood
Soeharto's Javanese motto mikul ndhuwur mendem njero (upholding one's
contribution to the country, and covering up their wrongdoings), he
perpetuates the shrewdly misused adage.
We may ideally justify this Javanese belief when an imaginary leader,
for instance, has been really successful in many ways and a person of
integrity, both compensate for their excessive, yet pardonable, slips of
tongue and err..s (hesitations) in formal speeches.
But Soeharto and Gayus are not the ideals to fit into the essence of the
proverb. Whereas Soeharto consecrated himself as the "father of national
development" and concealed glaring corruption charged to him, Gayus has
persistently upheld his achievements to enrich his immediate and
extended families, and was once victorious in having himself covered as
well as freed from imprisonment.
Does character and literacy education à la Soeharto account for such
rampant corruption nowadays? Yes, and not only that.
In fact, we have inherited a feudalistic mentality, particularly since
the Dutch divide-and-rule politics that segregated our society into
imbalanced power relations favoring the Dutch (now perpetuated by many
Western people who like to impose "more prestigious education"), with
either the ethnic Chinese or indigenous Indonesians, or now including
those of Arab and Indian descent, usually being involved in conflict and
yet succumbing to the swamping effect of Western capitalistic education.
Not all Western people are capitalistic at heart, I believe, but
traditionally literacy education in a capitalist world (Indonesia
included, to my dismay) has its own set of metaphors.
David Barton (1994) suggests five parameters that constitute a set of
metaphors for literacy: Condition, response, means, goal and application.
In conventional (used interchangeably here with capitalist) literacy,
the main condition that necessitates education be carried out is
people's ignorance.
In response to this condition, good initiatives have certainly been made
to train the people in order for them to be literate by means of
literacy instruction.
The goals are mastery of basic literacy (reading and writing) and
numeracy skills that allow the people to function in the workplace.
Pleasant or neutral as it may sound thus far, however, the application
ends up with quite a dire impact: Adherence to the market logic as
determined by capital owners. This leads to unfair play between many of
the haves and the have-nots, with the latter being exploited by the former.
In Indonesia, the latter often realize they must have a lot of money to
exercise power. Oftentimes once the latter are rich and powerful by hook
or by crook, their literacy and numeracy skills are employed to outsmart
many of the have-nots and to keep them in a perpetually ignorant condition.
Or, if the ignorant have-nots want to rise out of their poverty, they
will learn the very literacy skills of corruption, thus repeating the
vicious cycle.
A critical set of metaphors for literacy should begin to be
conceptualized and most importantly
practiced.
This critical literacy starts from the awareness of the condition that
many people are deprived of resources owing to imbalanced power
relations and oppression.
People's empowerment is the logical response. This empowerment can be
facilitated by advocacy or pressure groups committed to eradicating
corrupt practices in multidimensional aspects of life. The twofold goal
is clear: People are conscious of their civil rights, and do not violate
other people's rights through corruption.
I will suggest one application in second-language literacy education,
that is, conscientizing practices in view of Paulo Freire (1970).
Inclusive of these practices are (1) perceiving "oppressive elements of
reality", (2) changing one's mindset (e.g. from corruption to
integrity), and (3) actions leading to social change.
The first and second steps can be explored by immersing (English)
language learners, at least at university level, in critical corpus
linguistic analysis.
For example, the students are to examine collocations preceding or
following the word "corrupt(ion)" (e.g. money laundering, bribery,
officials, public institution, mindset, judicial taskforce, etc.) and
"integrity" (e.g. professionalism, transparency, pact, moral, political,
restore, credibility, etc.) displayed by means of a concordance software
that can retrieve a huge collection of texts (i.e. a corpus of tens of
thousands up to, in some cases, millions of words).
The corpus can be a specialized one compiled by teachers from
downloadable texts containing cases of corruption and its eradication,
like those in The Jakarta Post and fed into the concordance software.
After this analysis, students follow up the conscientization in writing
projects by making connections between existing oppression attributable
to corruption, committed by other people and themselves in the past, and
their deliberate attempts to transcend corruption through a course of
actions that reflect integrity and in turn defend themselves just like
what the Javanese believe is becik ketitik ala ketara (time will tell
who is right and wrong).
This character critical literacy education blueprint will with hope help
eliminate rampant Gayus-like corrupt officials.
Sounds too hopelessly idealistic? Suspend your judgment and let's give
it a try!
/The writer is a lecturer at the Satya Wacana Christian University's
School of Language and Literature, in Salatiga, Central Java./
* * *
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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