Chief Justice interrogated by corruption commission<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators finally
\nmanaged to question Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan on
\nFriday in connection with a high profile bribery case.<\/p>\n
The questioning took place a day after President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono summoned top officials of the two law
\nenforcement agencies for talks. Relations are believed to have
\nbeen tense between the two sides after a recent KPK search of the
\nSupreme Court offices and a much-criticized move by Bagir to snub
\nan earlier summons by the KPK.<\/p>\n
But instead of Bagir coming to the KPK office, which is
\nlocated right opposite the Supreme Court building on Jl. Veteran
\nIII, Central Jakarta, the KPK investigators came to him, in what
\nsome said could set a bad precedent for the principle of equality
\nbefore the law.<\/p>\n
Bagir has been accused of receiving part of the total Rp 16
\nbillion (US$1.6 million) in bribe money allocated by business
\ntycoon Probosutedjo to judges, prosecutors, and court staff in
\nexchange for his acquittal on a corruption charge involving the
\nmisuse of government reforestation funds. Resolving the alleged
\nbribery case is also seen as a test for Susilo's commitment to
\ncurb rampant graft in the country.<\/p>\n
But for now, Bagir was questioned in his capacity as a witness
\nin the case of Harini Wijoso, the lawyer for Probosutedjo, who
\nwas caught by KPK investigators two months ago giving a sum of
\nmoney to five Supreme Court employees. The bribery case came to
\nthe surface following Harini's arrest at a time when the
\nProbosutedjo case was on appeal at the Supreme Court. Bagir led
\nthe panel of three judges handling the case.<\/p>\n
KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas accompanied KPK
\ninvestigators led by Ahmad Wiyagus to Bagir's office for the
\nquestioning session on Friday morning. He left the chief
\njustice's room about 30 minutes later.<\/p>\n
Justice Harifin A. Tumpa, who attended the questioning, said
\nthe KPK investigators questioned Bagir about the process of
\nappointing the justices for the Probosutedjo appeal case. Bagir
\nhas recently appointed a new panel of judges for the case.<\/p>\n
\"He looked relaxed,\" Harifin told dozens of reporters, who
\nwere waiting outside the chief justice's office.<\/p>\n
Later that day, however, a visibly tense Bagir refused to be
\nshot by photographers after performing Friday prayers.<\/p>\n
Harifin dismissed suggestions the KPK was giving \"special
\ntreatment\" to Bagir by conducting the probe at the judge's
\noffice. In past cases, the KPK summoned witnesses and suspects to
\nits office.<\/p>\n
Justice Usman, a member of the previous panel of justices
\nhandling the Probosutedjo case, was forced to come to the KPK
\noffice for questioning. General Elections Commission (KPU)
\nchairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin was also questioned at the office.<\/p>\n
\"This is not discriminatory. It's a move to respect the
\ninstitution (of the Supreme Court). The chief justice represents
\nthe institution,\" Harifin said.<\/p>\n
A KPK source, who insisted on anonymity because of the
\nsensitivity of the case, also said the decision to question Bagir
\nin his office was made to \"respect the intra-state institutional
\nethics.\"<\/p>\n
\"We took the policy as we respect the Supreme Court, although
\nBagir was questioned in his capacity as a member of the panel of
\njustices who heard Probosutedjo's case,\" the source said.<\/p>",
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