The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has used World Anti-Corruption Day today to claim it has been more effective bringing corruption cases to trial than the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said in Jakarta on Tuesday that his office had managed to return Rp 8.2 trillion (US$683.3 million) to the state as a result of its efforts fighting corruption in the past four years.
"From 2004 to 2008, the AGO has investigated nearly 3,150 corruption cases of which 2,850 were brought before court," Hendarman read from a report to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a commemoration for World Anti-Corruption Day.
In the report, the AGO rated its success in fighting corruption against other law institutions including the KPK and the National Police.
The report alleges that the police only brought around 1000 corruption cases to court, reclaiming Rp 860 billion in state funds, while just over 100 KPK cases made it to court, returning Rp 476 billion.
Hendarman said law enforcers had contributed to the improvement of Indonesia's Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which according to a report by Transparency International was recorded at 2.6 this year. In 2005, the CPI was 2.2, followed by 2.4 in 2006 and 2.3 last year.
"These figures are the result of strong coordination between the AGO, the police and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK)," Hendarman said.
Besides Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, other state officials attending the event at the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta included Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, State Minister for Administrative Reforms Taufik Effendi, National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo.
The commemoration, however, was not attended by KPK chairman Antasari Azhar. Hendarman refused to comment on the issue, but many have suggested the two institutions have been fiercely competing in the war against graft.
Antasari commemorated World Anti-Corruption Day separately by inviting rock groups Slank and GIGI to perform at his office in South Jakarta. Slank -- whose hit track Gosip Jalanan (Street Gossip) criticizes lawmakers accused of corruption -- have helped the KPK campaign throughout the anti-graft movement.
The commemoration at the KPK was also attended by 22 governors of the country's 33 provinces, all of whom have vowed not to commit corruption.
"Today, we representatives of Indonesian citizens declare not to commit corruption," the governors said in a statement.
Among the attendees were Yogyakarta's Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, Gorontalo's Fadel Muhammad, Jakarta's Fauzi Bowo and Papua's Barnabas Suebu.