The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has called on the Law and Human Rights Minister to eliminate the death penalty provision in the anti-corruption bill (RUU Tipikor) currently in deliberation.

Kontras cited that the Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said on Tuesday that death penalty for corruption was stipulated in the bill.

Kontras said the death penalty did not respect the right to life and would be ineffective as a corruption deterrent. It said the clause would also hinder efforts to repatriate corruption fugitives hiding abroad, as well as their assets.

“The failure of the handling of corruption cases in Indonesia is because of politics as well as the bad service and bureaucracy of the Indonesian legal system,” Kontras Coordinator, Haris Azhar, said on Wednesday.

Kontras proposed improved law enforcement and property reporting for public officials to combat corruption in Indonesia. (rcf)