Thursday, 11 October 2012

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES READY TO TAKE OVER REVISION OF WITNESS AND VICTIM PROTECTION ACT



The lengthy process of revision of Law No. 13/2006 on Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) has received the attention from Vice Chairman of the House of Representative, Priyo Budi Santoso. He explained that if the government cannot complete the revised to take over.

The House of Representatives understood the heavy responsibility of LPK as the one who carries out the mandate of the LPSK Act, which its authority is limited. The House of Representative is ready to give support if the revision is done through House of Representatives? initiative proposal. This was stated by Priyo when welcoming Chairman of LPSK, Abdul Haris Samendawaim at the House of Representatives building in Senayan, Jakarta.

In accordance with legislation, proposal for deliberation of law can be done by the government or the House of Representative for Political and Security Coordinator emphasized that the initiative proposal from Chairman of LPSK.

Member of the House of Representative, Ahmad Yani, regretted the eighty deliberation of the bill. A similar situation also occurs on Draft of Revised Criminal Procedural Code (KUHAP) which has been waiting for tens of years and has not been proposed to the House of Representative. The House of Representatives? Legislation Body (Baleg) has been ready to take a revolutionary action to make it an initiative proposal of the House of Representatives.

Chairman of LPSK said that an increasing number in criminal cased an increasing number of witnesses and victims that must be protected. Some of them are ready to become justice collaborators and whistle blowers. To implement protection, LPSK should have formed a security force. The right choice bow is to ask for police’s assistance.

Police officers are assigned rotating so that it affects effectiveness of guarding system which is sometimes confidential. Learning from the United States who has the US Marshall, some of the police or officers trained by the police are working fully for US Witness and Victim Protection Agency.

Other authority that should be strengthened through revision of LPSK Act is decision of LPSK to protect witnesses and victims should be implemented by the related institutions, but in practice, it is not like that. Another matter is the status of the Secretary General which is only at the same level with Echelon II. The consequence is that budget and civil service affairs that cannot be self-managed, but must be through the Secretary General. Performance reporting at the House of Representatives is also done through 2 commissions, for example Commission II for administrative affairs and Commission III for law enforcement affairs.

Considering the heavy work challengers of LPSK, it is expected that revision of LPSK Act can be completed by 2013. If deliberation of the bill at the government level is stagnant, it should be handed over to the House of Representatives.    

Business News - August 29, 2012 

No comments: