Court renounces 'outsiders' opinion'

JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court renounced yesterday the opinion that Chief Justice Soerjono's insistence on firing deputy Chief Justice for General Crimes Adi Andojo Soetjipto has put President Soeharto in a difficult position.

"There is no such term as 'cornering the President'. This is merely the opinion of outsiders," Toton Suprapto, the Court's spokesman, told reporters yesterday.

Adi sparked the controversy when he alleged earlier this year that collusion practices, including bribery, were rife in the Supreme Court. Soerjono contradicted the allegation by saying that an internal probe team had found no evidence to substantiate the claim.

The chief justice later ordered Adi to desist from making further allegations, because his actions were deemed undermining the Court's integrity.

During most of the conflict, Soerjono rarely spoke to the press, represented only by Toton.

According to Toton, the Court is not violating any procedures by sending a letter to the President requesting Adi's dismissal.

Accompanying Toton was the Court's Secretary-General, Mangatas Nasution, who confirmed that Soerjono's request to retire this November was finally sent out to the state secretary yesterday, four months after Soerjono had filed the request.

"The Court administrative's recklessness caused the delay of the form, which was signed by Soerjono on March 18," Mangatas said.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a lecturer on constitutional law at the University of Indonesia, said during a television interview yesterday that the protracted dispute could be solved internally.

"Soerjono still has three months before he retires," he said.

Adi would reach the retirement age of 65 for the position he holds next year, while Soerjono would turn 65 by Oct. 22 this year.

Mangatas added that civil servants holding special positions, such as chief justice, do not submit to the same procedures that regular civil servants follow. The latter must submit their requests 1.5 years before they reach the age of retirement.

Meanwhile, around 100 students from the University of Indonesia, claiming to represent 30,000 other university students, staged a protest at the Supreme Court on Jl. Merdeka Utara after being denied a chance to meet Soerjono, who assigned Toton to deal with the students.

The students rejected Toton's invitation to 10 student representatives to meet him in his office.

Facril Hamzah, one of the student leaders, said that the group did not want to meet Toton. (16/14)