Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 07/08/2008 10:21 AM | National
Most corruption convicts have so far preferred to serve additional jail terms rather than pay restitutions to the state, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said Monday.
Deputy attorney general for special crimes Marwan Effendy said it was important for the state to recover its losses.
"Corrupters have caused the state to suffer huge financial losses. They must return the corruption money to the state."
He said prosecutors would demand heavier additional punishments for corruption suspects to prevent them from opting against paying restitutions.
"We have found that in most corruption cases, like those in the Jakarta prosecutor's office, only lenient jail terms were sought for defendants as their secondary punishments," Marwan added.
He said a short-term imprisonment sentence would only be a "slap on the wrist" and would not deter graft suspects or convicts.
Marwan said he had instructed all prosecutor offices to soon start charging heavier additional jail terms for corruption suspects in cases worth more than Rp 1 billion of state losses.
For example, he said, when prosecutors demand a court order a graft suspect to repay Rp 1 billion in fines or to serve five months as an extra-jail term, then the AGO would ask the prosecutors to increase the sentence to several years if the defendant chose not to pay.
He said his office would punish prosecutors that disobeyed the instruction.
Marwan said he acknowledged the judges had the final say in administering punishment, but added that prosecutors and judges needed to work more closely.
"The AGO will ask courts to understand our move and embrace the same vision.
"We will assure the courts that assets recovery has become one of the government's focuses, and as a government bodies, we should abide by its wish," Marwan said.
"We'll tell the judges that if they ignore this idea, they will appear suspicious in the eyes of the public."
In the past, graft defendants have often returned stolen money before a court verdict to encourage judges or prosecutors to reduce jail sentences.
Most corruption convicts have so far preferred to serve additional jail terms rather than pay restitutions to the state, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) said Monday.
Deputy attorney general for special crimes Marwan Effendy said it was important for the state to recover its losses.
"Corrupters have caused the state to suffer huge financial losses. They must return the corruption money to the state."
He said prosecutors would demand heavier additional punishments for corruption suspects to prevent them from opting against paying restitutions.
"We have found that in most corruption cases, like those in the Jakarta prosecutor's office, only lenient jail terms were sought for defendants as their secondary punishments," Marwan added.
He said a short-term imprisonment sentence would only be a "slap on the wrist" and would not deter graft suspects or convicts.
Marwan said he had instructed all prosecutor offices to soon start charging heavier additional jail terms for corruption suspects in cases worth more than Rp 1 billion of state losses.
For example, he said, when prosecutors demand a court order a graft suspect to repay Rp 1 billion in fines or to serve five months as an extra-jail term, then the AGO would ask the prosecutors to increase the sentence to several years if the defendant chose not to pay.
He said his office would punish prosecutors that disobeyed the instruction.
Marwan said he acknowledged the judges had the final say in administering punishment, but added that prosecutors and judges needed to work more closely.
"The AGO will ask courts to understand our move and embrace the same vision.
"We will assure the courts that assets recovery has become one of the government's focuses, and as a government bodies, we should abide by its wish," Marwan said.
"We'll tell the judges that if they ignore this idea, they will appear suspicious in the eyes of the public."
In the past, graft defendants have often returned stolen money before a court verdict to encourage judges or prosecutors to reduce jail sentences.
