Former attorney general denies promise to informant

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A lawyer for former attorney general Marzuki Darusman denied on Tuesday his client had provided a written guarantee that Endin Wahyudin, who blew the whistle on alleged bribery in the Supreme Court, would win any defamation suits brought against him as a result of his action.

"My client never gave such a guarantee to Endin Wahyudin," Chairunisa Jafizham said after attending the hearing of a suit filed by Endin with the South Jakarta District Court.

In the suit, Endin accuses former Supreme Court justice Adi Andojo Sutjipto, who chaired the now-defunct Anticorruption Joint Team, and Marzuki Darusman of failing to provide him promised legal protection in return for his becoming a whistle-blower.

Endin is seeking Rp 2.5 billion (US$294,117) in damages and another Rp 750,000 for material losses. He has also asked the court to issue an asset preservation order against the two defendants as collateral for any monetary award given him by the court.

In the hearing on Tuesday, Endin said he agreed to provide information on alleged bribery in the Supreme Court only because he was promised two things: legal protection and help in a case he was involved in at the Bandung District Court in 2000.

He claimed the joint anticorruption team promised to grant Endin immunity against lawsuits if he testified about bribes allegedly received by three Supreme Court justices.

Endin testified that the justices received a total of Rp 96 million to change their decision in a land dispute case in Bandung.

Two of the justices alleged to have received bribes, Marnis Kahar and Suprapti Sutarto, filed a police complaint accusing Endin of defamation as soon as the bribery case was taken to the court.

Endin was sentenced to a three-month suspended jail term and six months of probation.

Commenting on Adi Andojo's claim that the immunity offered to Endin was simply part of a witness protection program, Endin's lawyer Sitor Situmorang said the government regulation on the protection of witnesses was only endorsed after Endin had received his promised immunity.

Presiding judge Syamsul Ali adjourned the trial until Jan. 29, at which time the court will hear more defense arguments.