Asset Confiscation in Combating Corruption and Money Laundering: A Human Rights-Based Approach to Law Enforcement

Journal: Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies

Publication: 2026-08-31 · Vol. 5 No. 2 · pp. 1460–1485

DOI: 10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.221

Abstract

Law enforcement regarding corruption and money laundering in Indonesia faces ongoing challenges, as case handling remains primarily focused on penalizing offenders rather than confiscating the proceeds of crime to recover state financial losses. This study aims to address two issues: the current state of law enforcement in Indonesia regarding corruption and money laundering through asset forfeiture, and the ideal framework for such enforcement that simultaneously protects human rights. The study employs a normative-juridical (doctrinal) method, utilizing statutory, comparative, and conceptual approaches. Primary legal materials consist of legislation, court rulings, and international legal instruments, while secondary materials include books, journals, research findings, and expert opinions; these were analyzed qualitatively through legal interpretation, comparative analysis, and conceptual analysis. The findings indicate that law enforcement efforts to address corruption and money laundering through asset forfeiture are not yet fully integrated and require a stronger "follow the money" approach. The proposed ideal framework integrates asset tracing, freezing, seizure, forfeiture, and management into a unified mechanism, including the implementation of Non-Conviction-Based Asset Forfeiture, accompanied by guarantees of due process, proportionality, the right to a defense, protection for good-faith third parties, and the principle of balanced probabilities. The study contributes academically by developing an asset-recovery-based law-enforcement concept that links the eradication of corruption and money laundering with human rights protection, serving as a foundation for the development of asset-forfeiture policy in Indonesia.