Jakarta – Foreign ministry officials are advised to take over immigration duties at foreign consular offices to minimize cases of corruption, many of which have recently been revealed.
Legislator Djoko Susilo said that if getting rid of the immigration officers were impossible, then at least their number should be reduced and supervision tightened.
He was responding to last week's revelation of Rp 28.6 billion (US$3.1 million) in corruption cases occurring in Indonesia's consular offices in Malaysia and Japan over the past five years.
Djoko and Foreign Ministry spokesman Desra Percaya said that the graft cases mostly involved immigration officers, who are under the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, while dealing with passports and visas.
"The pattern is always similar. The culprits are immigration bureaucrats. They have the habit of charging illegal fees for processing passports and visas," Djoko alleged.
He pointed out that some Indonesian embassies had too many immigration officials. The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, for example, has four immigration bureaucrats.
If foreign ministry officials take charge of all immigration-related duties, they will have direct control of all staff in a particular embassy.
"I know he (Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda) is very tough. In December 2005, he fired an official involved in such a crime," Djoko said. In contrast, the Justice and Human Rights Ministry will merely withdraw corrupt immigration officials from a given embassy, he added.
Immigration office spokesman Cecep Supriatna rejected Djoko's suggestion, saying that the core of the problem was the lack of supervision – and not from which ministry a staff member came from.
"We have been trying to fix the old system, which is notorious for corruption," Cecep said. "However, it is not as easy as turning your palm." He explained that the immigration office was improving its internal rules. Corrupt immigration officials can be reported to the police or the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Foreign ministry spokesman Desra told The Jakarta Post that the ministry would consider Djoko's suggestion. "We need more detailed ideas from him (Djoko)," he said.
The ministry promised to improve its supervision system in its foreign missions. "All payments will be done by way of bank transfer, no longer in cash. But we need to build the infrastructure because not all missions have the necessary facilities," Desra said.
Desra also said that the corruption cases at the Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo Embassies, and also the Johor Baru and Kuching consulates as well as the Tawau liaison office in eastern Malaysia were being investigated by the KPK.
Deputy Chairman of KPK, Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas told The Jakarta Post that investigators were ready to follow up on the reports.