Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – A group of activists attempting to obtain details about the National Police's internal investigation into the suspiciously large bank accounts of several police generals went home empty-handed on Monday.
The police insisted they could not disclose information regarding the 23 high-ranking police officers whom the activists said might have amassed their wealth illegally.
The activists came from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence and Imparsial.
The ICW's Agus Sunaryanto said the new 2008 Law on Access to Public Information required the police to reveal the results of their investigation.
"According to the law, the investigation results should be open to the public. Besides, the accounts belong to state officials," he said.
Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang, however, said that the police could not grant the activists' request because the anti-money laundering law prevented them from disclosing personal information about individuals' bank accounts.
"We also have another law, the Anti-Money Laundering Law," the spokesman said.
Agus said the activists would follow procedures in accordance with the Information Law to get what they requested.
According to the law, state institutions must provide requested information within 17 days of the request, or submit a notification if they fail to do so.
If the police fail to provide the information before the deadline, the requester can go to the Central Information Commission for mediation, Agus said. "The Information Law has given the commission the authority to settle disputes about public information," he said.
Commenting on the activists' plan to bring the dispute to the commission, Edward said, "Go ahead".
The police have announced that of the 23 personal bank accounts under investigation, 17 have been cleared of all suspicion.
Two accounts were described as problematic. However, the police have not disclosed the identities of the account holders or details about the investigation.
Central Information Commission chairman Ahmad Alamsyah Saragih said the police should identify the officers because it was part of their obligation as public officials.
The Information Law stipulates that information about a public official's bank account should not be exempted from the rule on confidentiality, Ahmad said. "Their refusal to disclose the information was likely because they are not knowledgeable about the law," he said.
The police's announcement of the result of its investigation has triggered wide-spread criticism, particularly allegations of bias as the police are investigating high-ranking officials within their own ranks.