Council sets up to probe Manulife judges
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta High Court has established an honorary council of five judges to investigate three Jakarta Commercial Court judges suspected of taking bribes to declare PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife Indonesia bankrupt.
In a letter signed on Aug. 12, Jakarta High Court chief M. Ridwan Nasution appointed Abner Hutagaol, currently Jakarta High Court deputy chief, as the honorary council's chairman.
Its members are I Ketut Suradnya from the Jakarta Administrative Court, Muhammad Saleh from the Central Jakarta District Court, Parwoto Wignyosumarto from the Indonesian Judges Association (IKAHI), and Maryatmo, also from IKAHI.
The council has 30 days to investigate three Manulife judges -- Hasan Basri, C.H. Kristi Purnamiwulan, and Cahyono -- and has to reach a conclusion within that period and propose a course of action to the minister of justice and human rights, and the chief justice.
The three drew waves of domestic and international criticism on June 13 when they declared PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife, the local unit of Canadian insurance giant Manulife Financial, bankrupt for failing to pay a dividend to its previous owner PT Dharmala Sakti Sejahtera (DSS) in 1999. Manulife had insisted that the shareholders agreed not to pay any dividends in that year.
The Supreme Court later overturned the judges' verdict following strong protests from Ottawa.
Justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said earlier that there were "indications of criminal acts" by the three judges.
On Aug. 6, President Megawati issued a decree suspending the three judges based on Government Regulation No. 30/1980 on civil service and Government Regulation No. 26/1991 on procedures for the removal of judges.
Abner Hutagaol said on Tuesday he would immediately summon council members to discuss the objectives and technical aspects of the investigation.
He also said that the Jakarta High Court and Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights had already investigated the three judges.
"The results of their investigation will also be used by the honorary council," he said.
Abner said the three judges would not accompanied by lawyers during the investigation.