Adi Andojo resigns from the anti-corruption team

JAKARTA (JP): Former deputy chief justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto has resigned from the government-sponsored anti-corruption team, saying that the decision was prompted by the team's failure in taking any major corruption cases to court.

"I could no longer lead the team because since its establishment seven months ago, we haven't been able to take a single corruption case to court," Adi told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

"I feel that I have failed in carrying out my duty so it is better for me to resign rather than face criticism from the public," he added.

Adi, who submitted his resignation on Monday, also said his decision to quit the team was partly based on the fact that the team was not given enough power by the government to act in corruption cases.

"We have been proposing that the team be established through a government regulation in lieu of law and this will make the team more independent," Adi said, adding that the team is currently placed under authority of the Attorney General's Office.

Last year, the team alleged that several Supreme Court justices were allegedly involved in bribery. The South Jakarta District Court ruled, however, that the team did not have the authority to prosecute the cases.

The team has refused to back down and plans to begin submitting dossiers on alleged bribery cases involving judges to the district courts concerned.

Adi, who has established a reputation for his uncompromising stance on the implementation of justice and fight against corruption in the legal system, also charged that the government's commitment to eradicating corruption was still only "lip service".

One of Adi's most famous decisions was exonerating labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan from subversion charges in the last years of former president Soeharto. But the ruling was quickly turned over by his Supreme Court colleagues.

Adi, who retired in May 1997 after serving 18-years as deputy chief justice, also made headlines in the mid-1990s with his accusation of widespread collusion within the Supreme Court. (byg)