DPR Deputy Speaker urges Asset Forfeiture Bill to prioritize victim compensation

Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Deputy Speaker Sari Yuliati has emphasized that the Asset Forfeiture Bill must include mechanisms to return assets seized from criminal activities to their victims.

Speaking in Jakarta, Yuliati noted that current law enforcement often fails to recover losses for victims of economic crimes, such as fraudulent investments, illegal robot trading, and religious pilgrimage scams. She argued that legal action should not end solely with the punishment of the perpetrator, but must also ensure the restoration of rights for those harmed.

The proposed legislation aims to strengthen the state's ability to trace, freeze, and seize assets linked to criminal acts. This is deemed necessary as economic criminals increasingly use complex methods, including transferring ownership to third parties or using fake identities, to hide the origins of their wealth. Yuliati suggested the bill should cover victim identification, proof of the link between assets and crimes, loss assessment, and procedures for distributing managed assets back to the victims.