Adi Andojo still has job, Chief Justice says
Adi Andojo still has job, Chief Justice says
JAKARTA (JP): Justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto still has his job
as a deputy of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Sarwata said
yesterday.
"He is still one of the Court's deputies. Of course he will be
involved in the consolidation effort," Sarwata said after a
farewell ceremony for his predecessor Soerjono, at the Supreme
Court.
Sarwata was responding to news reports suggesting that Justice
Adi has been removed from his position as Deputy Chief for
General Crimes.
An unconfirmed report says President Soeharto has signed a
letter giving Adi an honorary discharge, and that the letter has
been sent to the Supreme Court. Rumors of his dismissal gained
currency when Adi cleared his desk and office at the Supreme
Court last week.
Sarwata neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the
letter.
Justice Adi will still take part in leadership meetings, and
in the court's various activities, particularly in helping to
clear the huge backlog of cases, Sarwata said.
Justice Adi earned the wrath of former chief justice,
Soerjono, earlier this year when he waged a lone campaign to
clean up the image of the Supreme Court which he said was beset
with collusion practices.
The row between the two men became public knowledge, and
Soerjono subsequently petitioned President Soeharto to have Adi
removed from the Supreme Court, for insubordination.
The petition was still pending when Soerjono reached the
mandatory retirement age of 65, and retired from the Supreme
Court on Nov. 1. Adi will turn 65 next April.
Adi was not present at the farewell ceremony yesterday,
although Sarwata was quick to play down his absence.
"It might be because Justice Adi is still resting after his
recent trip to South Korea," Sarwata explained.
Sarwata, 61, took oath of office for the number one job at the
Supreme Court on Nov. 1. The position was awarded to him by
presidential decree.
A retired Air Force commodore, Sarwata had previously served
as deputy chief justice for military tribunals.
At the same time Th. Ketut Suraputra was appointed vice chief
of the Supreme Court. He had previously served as deputy chief
justice for state administrative courts.
Both Sarwata and Suraputra, as deputies, signed the petition
to have Justice Adi removed.
The Supreme Court comprises a total of 51 justices, including
the chief justices and deputies.
But because of retirements this year, there are now only 41
serving justices. The House of Representatives has yet to
nominate the 10 replacements.
The Supreme Court has come under heavy pressure to clear up
the mounting number of appeal cases.
House Speaker Wahono estimated that 20,000 cases were awaiting
hearing at the Supreme Court but Soerjono said it was around
14,000. Sarwata yesterday declined to give a figure.
Purwoto Gandasubrata, chief justice between 1992 and 1994,
said yesterday that ideally the Supreme Court would need only 24
justices.
Purwoto said this would only be possible once the Supreme
Court cleared up the backlog of cases, and when a regulation
designed to limit the number of cases reaching the Supreme Court
comes into force. (26)