State Officials Must Report Gifts From King Salman: KPK
Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, has instructed state officials to report any gifts they might have received from Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud or his entourage to avoid criminal charges.
By law, government officials must report any presents received to the KPK within 30 days.
KPK's gratuities director, Giri Suprapdiono, said gifts from state guests are common gestures that help maintain good relations between countries.
However, Indonesia, like many other state governments, expects its officials to report any presents received in accordance with their state duties.
"If the recipients do not report these gifts within 30 working days, they will be considered as bribes," Giri said in Jakarta on Thursday (16/03).
The regulation on receiving gifts from state leaders is outlined in the 2001 Law on Corruption Eradication. It stipulates that any state official who fails to comply with Article 12 will face four to 20 years of imprisonment and up to Rp 1 billion ($75,000) in fine.
"Gratification is not about influencing any decisions. If [the presents] influence official policies, they are considered bribes," Giri said. "We appreciate those who have already reported gifts received."
KPK will have another 30 days to assess the reported items. Aside from determining the monetary value of each item, the KPK's assessments will decide whether the presents should be forfeited to the state or remain with its recipients.
Five state officials, comprising of three state ministers, a provincial governor and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, have reported presents they received from King Salman during the latter's visit to the country earlier this month.
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung has denied rumors that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo received gifts from the king during his visit to Jakarta.
The exchange of gifts between state leaders was abolished under Jokowi's direction.
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