Chief Justice interrogated by corruption commission

Chief Justice interrogated by corruption commission

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators finally
managed to question Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan on
Friday in connection with a high profile bribery case.

The questioning took place a day after President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono summoned top officials of the two law
enforcement agencies for talks. Relations are believed to have
been tense between the two sides after a recent KPK search of the
Supreme Court offices and a much-criticized move by Bagir to snub
an earlier summons by the KPK.

But instead of Bagir coming to the KPK office, which is
located right opposite the Supreme Court building on Jl. Veteran
III, Central Jakarta, the KPK investigators came to him, in what
some said could set a bad precedent for the principle of equality
before the law.

Bagir has been accused of receiving part of the total Rp 16
billion (US$1.6 million) in bribe money allocated by business
tycoon Probosutedjo to judges, prosecutors, and court staff in
exchange for his acquittal on a corruption charge involving the
misuse of government reforestation funds. Resolving the alleged
bribery case is also seen as a test for Susilo's commitment to
curb rampant graft in the country.

But for now, Bagir was questioned in his capacity as a witness
in the case of Harini Wijoso, the lawyer for Probosutedjo, who
was caught by KPK investigators two months ago giving a sum of
money to five Supreme Court employees. The bribery case came to
the surface following Harini's arrest at a time when the
Probosutedjo case was on appeal at the Supreme Court. Bagir led
the panel of three judges handling the case.

KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas accompanied KPK
investigators led by Ahmad Wiyagus to Bagir's office for the
questioning session on Friday morning. He left the chief
justice's room about 30 minutes later.

Justice Harifin A. Tumpa, who attended the questioning, said
the KPK investigators questioned Bagir about the process of
appointing the justices for the Probosutedjo appeal case. Bagir
has recently appointed a new panel of judges for the case.

"He looked relaxed," Harifin told dozens of reporters, who
were waiting outside the chief justice's office.

Later that day, however, a visibly tense Bagir refused to be
shot by photographers after performing Friday prayers.

Harifin dismissed suggestions the KPK was giving "special
treatment" to Bagir by conducting the probe at the judge's
office. In past cases, the KPK summoned witnesses and suspects to
its office.

Justice Usman, a member of the previous panel of justices
handling the Probosutedjo case, was forced to come to the KPK
office for questioning. General Elections Commission (KPU)
chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin was also questioned at the office.

"This is not discriminatory. It's a move to respect the
institution (of the Supreme Court). The chief justice represents
the institution," Harifin said.

A KPK source, who insisted on anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the case, also said the decision to question Bagir
in his office was made to "respect the intra-state institutional
ethics."

"We took the policy as we respect the Supreme Court, although
Bagir was questioned in his capacity as a member of the panel of
justices who heard Probosutedjo's case," the source said.