Court renounces 'outsiders' opinion'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court renounced yesterday the
\nopinion that Chief Justice Soerjono's insistence on firing deputy
\nChief Justice for General Crimes Adi Andojo Soetjipto has put
\nPresident Soeharto in a difficult position.<\/p>\n
\"There is no such term as 'cornering the President'. This is
\nmerely the opinion of outsiders,\" Toton Suprapto, the Court's
\nspokesman, told reporters yesterday.<\/p>\n
Adi sparked the controversy when he alleged earlier this year
\nthat collusion practices, including bribery, were rife in the
\nSupreme Court. Soerjono contradicted the allegation by saying
\nthat an internal probe team had found no evidence to substantiate
\nthe claim.<\/p>\n
The chief justice later ordered Adi to desist from making
\nfurther allegations, because his actions were deemed undermining
\nthe Court's integrity.<\/p>\n
During most of the conflict, Soerjono rarely spoke to the
\npress, represented only by Toton.<\/p>\n
According to Toton, the Court is not violating any procedures
\nby sending a letter to the President requesting Adi's dismissal.<\/p>\n
Accompanying Toton was the Court's Secretary-General, Mangatas
\nNasution, who confirmed that Soerjono's request to retire this
\nNovember was finally sent out to the state secretary yesterday,
\nfour months after Soerjono had filed the request.<\/p>\n
\"The Court administrative's recklessness caused the delay of
\nthe form, which was signed by Soerjono on March 18,\" Mangatas
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a lecturer on constitutional law at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, said during a television interview
\nyesterday that the protracted dispute could be solved internally.<\/p>\n
\"Soerjono still has three months before he retires,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Adi would reach the retirement age of 65 for the position he
\nholds next year, while Soerjono would turn 65 by Oct. 22 this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Mangatas added that civil servants holding special positions,
\nsuch as chief justice, do not submit to the same procedures that
\nregular civil servants follow. The latter must submit their
\nrequests 1.5 years before they reach the age of retirement.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, around 100 students from the University of
\nIndonesia, claiming to represent 30,000 other university
\nstudents, staged a protest at the Supreme Court on Jl. Merdeka
\nUtara after being denied a chance to meet Soerjono, who assigned
\nToton to deal with the students.<\/p>\n
The students rejected Toton's invitation to 10 student
\nrepresentatives to meet him in his office.<\/p>\n
Facril Hamzah, one of the student leaders, said that the group
\ndid not want to meet Toton. (16\/14)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/court-renounces-outsiders-opinion-1447893297",
"image": ""
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