TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-Monica Tanuhandaru, Director Executive of The Partnership for Governance Reform (Kemitraan) has urged the government to fully investigate public officials listed in Panama Papers. “Public officials who are listed [in Panama Papers] need to be questioned and be investigated over their involvement,” she told Tempo, April 24, 2016.
She said that it is normal for businessmen to be listed in the Panama Papers. However, it is unusual for state officials such as Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Human Rights Affairs to be listed in the documents. “It not only relates to the official’s integrity, but also Indonesia’s integrity,” she said.
According to her, it could cast doubt on whether the wealth in tax havens are personal wealth or obtained through abuse of authority during their term of office. Moreover, the public officials’s wife and children are usually businessmen. “The husband’s position as an influential official could be misused to boost wife and children’s businesses,” Monica said.
Monica has asked public officials listed in the Panama Papers to be more transparent. The transparency is needed on business conduct before the said officials took office in the Working Cabinet. “Public officials should be more transparent and declare if they had conflict of interest before they took office,” he said.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has been named in Panama Papers. Luhut is named as Director of Mayfair International Ltd addressed at Jalan Mega Kuningan Barat III No. 11, Indonesia. Luhut has denied owning Mayfair. “I have never heard of it. We have never own Mayfair. The house’s number is 18,” he said.
MITRA TARIGAN
