Mahfud MD agrees with death penalty for corrupters

Palembang, NU Online
Constitutional Court chairman Mahfud MD said he agreed with the idea to make corruption punishable by death to deter would-be corrupters.

The idea had actually existed for a long time but it seemed that some quarters still could not accept it, he told newsmen after speaking at a seminar at Sriwijaya University here on Friday.<<>;br />
Mahfud said if the idea was still unacceptable he would propose "a half death penalty" for them to further deter would-be corrupters.

Asked what he meant by "half death penalty", Mahfud declined to elabporate. He only said that state or government officials who had misused state money had to be dealt with firmly.

Prof Dr Saldi Isra from Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra, shared Mahfud`s view that corrupters had to be given the death penalty.

He however also added that corrupters had to be stripped of all their wealth.

He said corrupters had so far been able to rehabilitate their reputation by using their money and so if they could be stripped of their wealth would-be corrupters would certainly be deterred.

South Sumatra Vice Governor Eddy Yusuf also expressed his agreement for the imposition of the death penalty on corrupters.

He supported Mahfud`s statement adding the law must become "the commander" so that would-be corrupters and other criminals would be more careful. (ant/dar)