Prosecutors cleared from bribery charges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office has cleared six
\nprosecutors of allegations that they accepted bribes from three
\nbusinessmen who were acquitted of tax evasion charges by the
\nSurabaya court in East Java.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors from the East Java high prosecutor's office
\nand the Surabaya prosecutor's office, however, have been given
\na "medium degree of punishment" by holding their pay-increased for
\non year effective from June 7.<\/p>\n
A lighter punishment in the form of a reprimand has been given
\nto a senior prosecutor from the Surabaya District Court for
\nfailing to tightly supervise his subordinates.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Singgih told members of Commission III at the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR) yesterday that there was no proof
\nthat the prosecutors had accepted bribes from the defendants, who
\nwere accused of illegally avoiding payment of the value added
\ntax.<\/p>\n
"The rumors that the defendants or other people bribed the
\nprosecutors could not be proven," he said.<\/p>\n
Singgih was responding to questions first raised by the
\nlawyers of one of the acquitted businessmen.<\/p>\n
His statement came only a few days after the Supreme Court
\ncleared a top Surabaya judge of allegations that he was bribed to
\nacquit the businessmen.<\/p>\n
Judge Sarwono, however, has been disciplined for misconduct
\nand has lost his chances for promotion to head of the district
\ncourt in Medan, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Singgih told the hearing yesterday that investigators had
\nconfirmed that a number of prosecutors received relatives of the
\ndefendants at their homes to discuss the case and this went
\nagainst the Attorney General's policy.<\/p>\n
Nothing irregular<\/p>\n
Responding to a question by legislator Soesanto Bangunnagoro
\nabout the tape which purportedly contained a telephone
\nconversation between the defendant's lawyers and a prosecutor,
\nSinggih said the investigators has listened to the tape but found
\nnothing irregular.<\/p>\n
Legislator Ibnu Saleh challenged the fairness of the result,
\nsaying that superiors tend to defend their subordinates.
\nCommenting on this question, the Attorney General said that the
\nimpartiality of the investigation could be tested.<\/p>\n
Singgih also called on the public not to offer the prosecutors
\nany rewards in order to maintain justice.<\/p>\n
He explained that during the fifth Five Year Development Plan,
\na total of 666 prosecutors were disciplined for various
\nviolations.<\/p>\n
Singgih also reported that during the same five-year period,
\nhis office uncovered corruption cases involving Rp 2.7 trillion
\n($1.25 billion) of state funds. (par\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prosecutors-cleared-from-bribery-charges-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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