JAKARTA: Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom have agreed to strengthen collaboration on transnational corruption cases, reported Antara news agency.
During a meeting at the KPK's headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday (Feb 13), officials from the two anti-graft agencies discussed plans for a technical training session on investigations, scheduled for February 25 this year.
In a statement issued here on Friday, the KPK announced that the initiative would involve the British Embassy, Indonesia's National Police (Polri), and prosecutors, among others.
KPK chairperson Setyo Budiyanto drew attention to Indonesia's ongoing accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), while thanking SFO director Nick Ephgrave for speaking at a recent technical meeting on the organisation's Anti-Bribery Convention held by Indonesia.
"Hopefully, the SFO and the KPK will collaborate to support Indonesia's accession, as we are confident that the British government is highly experienced in investigating bribery cases involving foreign public officials," he said.
He noted that the KPK and SFO have enjoyed mutually beneficial cooperation since the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 7, 2010.
The MoU has allowed the exchange of information, data, and experiences on corruption and money laundering cases, as well as joint training activities.
Additionally, the two agencies have worked together on corruption cases related to PT Pertamina, PT Garuda Indonesia, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, and Innospec.
"The KPK and SFO have had successful cooperation," Budiyanto said, adding that the commission has compiled this success in a book.
Meanwhile, SFO director Ephgrave affirmed that his office sees the KPK as a long-term, valuable, and strategic partner.
He said that the SFO is planning to send two senior investigators to Indonesia to share best practices during the upcoming workshop/training session.
The British agency also expressed its intention to continue working with the KPK to pursue the recovery of assets related to corruption cases. - Bernama- Antara
