Anti-graft team condemns Supreme Court decision

JAKARTA (JP): The Joint Anti-Corruption Team claimed on Wednesday that the Supreme Court's decision to annul the government regulation on the team's establishment was legally flawed and must be revoked.

The Supreme Court's deputy chief justice for administration, Paulus E. Lotulung, said on Friday that on March 23 the Supreme Court annulled Government Regulation No. 19/2000 on the establishment of the anticorruption team. He said the court annulled the regulation because it contradicted Law No. 31/1999 on corruption.

Many people have criticized the decision, saying it lacked consistency and transparency. Some have also charged that the decision was taken because the Supreme Court felt threatened by the team, which was established to prosecute corrupt judges.

The head of the team, Krissantono, said on Wednesday the Supreme Court's decision was the culmination of the various obstacles faced in fighting corruption within the judiciary.

"The obstacles are deliberate and systematically designed," he said during a media conference at the Attorney General's Office.

Krissantono said the team had not yet received a copy of the court's judicial review decision. "We only found out about it from media reports."

Krissantono also said that while awaiting a copy of the court's decision, the team would continue with its work.

According to team member M.H. Silaban, the judicial review was filed by Indra Sahnun Lubis, a lawyer for former Supreme Court justices Yahya Harahap and Supraptini Sutarto, both of whom are being investigated by the anticorruption team.

Silaban further decried the judicial review, claiming it was examined and decided on by a committee of justices with a vested interest in the case.

As an example, he said Paulus was also Supraptini's legal consultant. "This is in violation of Supreme Court Law No. 14/1985 and other similar laws."

The team's demand that the annulment be revoked has received support from the Indonesian Corruption Watch, Judicial Watch Indonesia, the Advocacy and Justice Independence Institution and the Center of Law and Policy Study. (hdn)