Council sets up to probe Manulife judges

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.