On July 23, the four House factions in a plenary session...

On July 23, the four House factions in a plenary session chaired by House Deputy Speaker Lt. Gen. Hari Sabarno lauded a new law, which promises greater authority for law enforcers, as proof of the Government's commitment to pursue corruption cases. The death penalty awaits convicted corrupters.
Agus Muhyidin of the ruling Golkar Party faction said the special committee in charge of the bill had made substantial progress in their deliberations. "The law gives more authority to law enforcers, including the National Police, the Attorney General's Office and judges, in their investigations, prosecution and dispensing of punishment. Law enforcers will be allowed to receive information on corruption from all sides, including parties whose identity will remain confidential," he said at the Plenary Session.
Maj. Gen. Budi Santoso, deputy chairman of the military faction, said the law would mean that public officials, corporations and bank creditors would be forced to reconsider committing crimes. "This law with harsh sanctions, plus the law on clean governance that we passed in May, is expected to be an effective future means for the campaign against corruption," he said after the meeting. The clean governance law stipulates that new public officials declare their personal assets and their corporations' assets before taking on their jobs.
State Secretary/Justice Minister Muladi, who represented the Government at the Plenary Session, also hailed the law. "In handling corruption cases in the banking sector, for example, law enforcers will be allowed to freeze a suspect's bank account, and will be able to ask the central bank to reveal their bank accounts," he said. The Minister said the death sentence would be handed down to those who were found to have committed corruption more than once, those who were involved in major embezzlement cases, and to those who took advantage of situations during a state of emergency, national disasters and economic crises. "The law also threatens a maximum 20-year jail sentence," he said.