Endin's case ironic, says Attorney General Marzuki

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman admitted on Tuesday that it was ironic that a witness who had reported an act of corruption, was then tried for defamation.

"It is ironic that someone who had reported an act of corruption in a certain institution, was made a defendant in a related case. Meanwhile, those who were allegedly involved in the act of corruption 'win' their case for defamation in court," Marzuki said on Tuesday.

Marzuki was commenting on Monday's decision of the Central Jakarta District Court to proceed with the trial of Endin Wahyudin, which is based on a complaint filed by two Supreme Court justices -- Supraptini Sutarto and Marnis Kahar.

Endin is a middleman who claims to have bribed them in order to win a case.

Endin's lawyer, Irianto Subiakto of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, had earlier objected to the trial, which was held before the bribery case was thoroughly investigated and brought to court. He said he would file an appeal over the decision.

Marzuki said that even though the court had decided to continue with the case against Endin, the court could still examine whether the reputation of the two justices was really damaged.

He also said that Endin, who is a witness under the protection program run by the Attorney General Office, is still willing to provide information to the office over the alleged corruption.

"So, we can see that Endin has no objection to facing trial. Soon, we will hand over this corruption case to the court," Marzuki said without disclosing the exact date.

The case centers on the report of Endin to the joint anticorruption team (TGPTPK), that Justices Supraptini and Kahar had accepted Rp 50 million each at their office, and that he had delivered another Rp 96 million to Justice Yahya Harahap at the latter's residence in November 1998.

Endin told the team that the money was given to rule in favor of defendant Soenanta Soemali, alias Lie Sun Nam, in a dispute over a 17,000-square-meter plot of land in Bandung. The plaintiff in the case was Aminah. The Supreme Court's verdict in favor of Soenanta was issued in December 1998.

Following the disclosure of the case, Supraptini and Marnis filed a complaint with the National Police in August last year against Endin and chairman of the anticorruption team at that time, former deputy chief justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto, for slander.

He was charged under Article 311 of the Criminal Code concerning making reckless allegations and Article 310 on defamation.

The police have yet to question Adi Andojo. (02)