KPK Claims Difficult to Criminalize Rafael Alun Trisambodo over Lavish Wealth

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nawawi Pomolango said his agency could not immediately take action against tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo because of the latter’s unreasonable lavish wealth. Nawawi emphasized that Indonesian law has yet to adopt a concept called Illicit Enrichment.

“This concept has not been accommodated in our laws,” said Nawawi at his office, in Jakarta, Thursday, March 2.

Illicit enrichment is a rule regarding unreasonable wealth belonging to public officials that comes from a source of income that has not been justified. If this concept is adopted, law enforcement agencies can then immediately prosecute public officials who possess improper assets.

Nawawi said the concept has been widely disseminated in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption or UNCAC. Some countries that have ratified the convention have implemented it in their laws to eradicate corruption.

Unfortunately, he went on, Indonesia has not yet adopted the concept albeit it is one of the countries that have ratified the convention. “Actually, it is mandatory to be adopted,” he added. 

If only such a concept has been adopted, Nawawi argued the anti-graft body could thus prosecute public officials owning assets from bizarre sources, including Rafael Alun.

Therefore, Nawawi claimed KPK needed to go through a long process after examining Rafael Alun Trisambodo over his jumbo assets totaling Rp56 billion, which were deemed unreasonable when compared to his salary as an echelon 3 official.

The agency’s deputy for corruption eradication would then conduct further investigation into the taxman’s source of income. If indications of violations are found, the case will be handed to the KPK Directorate of Investigation.

“The Investigation Directorate will conduct conventional handling. This means carrying out an investigation whether bribery and gratuities exist that lead to an increase in wealth that does not match the profile,” Nawawi explained.

M ROSSENO AJI

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