Deputy Head of Anti-corruption Commission, Saut Situmorang, said that anti-corruption preventive efforts did not suffice with giving a sentence only, but instilling the anti-corruption behaviour amongst society and the young people. In the past few years not a few young people had been arrested due to corruption when they were holding public official positions. Corruption can be caused by need or corrupt system. “Some people were good in nature, but they became corrupters in the end. So, corruption can be caused by need or system,” said Saut during a general lecture on anti-corruption at Faculty of Law UGM on Friday (15/4).
Saut pointed out some examples of the young people who had committed corruption that were arrested by the Commission, such as Nazarudin, Anas Urbaningrum, Angelina Sondakh, etc. Saut told the students that the students also had the potential to commit corruption in the future if anti-corruption values were not instilled since early on. “You all have the potential (for corruption). So, never commit corruption,” he said.
He assessed that anti-corruption measures were not enough just by sending people to jail, but the state has the obligation to build anti-corruption values through education curriculum. “The state has to build those values through the curriculum,” he said.
Saut explained the Commission would make the Wealth Reports of State Administrators as one source for tracking acts of corruption. The Report will not only stay simply as a report because the reported wealth can also be collected from corruption. “The fact that officials have reported their wealth does not necessarily mean that they have not committed a corruption,” he said.
Former Chairman of Constitutional Court, Prof. Dr. Mahfud MD., said the people had to fully support the Anti-corruption Commission’s work despite its weaknesses. “Whatever it may be, we have to support the Commission,” he said.
Mahfud MD appreciated their success in arresting a prosecutor red-handedly. But he further challenged them to also arrest court judges who have committed acts of corruption. The Commission also needs to take measures on acts perpetrated by corporations. “What is more dangerous is now corporational crimes. You need to touch not the person but the corporation. Therefore, we need to support the Commission on their works to improve their achievements,” he said.