Judges to take oath before Oct. 20

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Anticorruption Court is expected to start operating before Oct. 20, when the next president is expected to take his or her oath.

Chief Justice Bagir Manan said on Wednesday that Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo had told him that President Megawati Soekarnoputri would swear in nine judges before Oct. 20.

"He said that the President had not sworn in the judges due to the presidential campaign. He promised that the judges could take their oath before Oct. 20. We could understand that," Bagir told reporters at his office.

Bambang visited the Supreme Court last Friday to discuss the anticorruption issue with Bagir.

Megawati, who sought a full five-year term in the election runoff on Sept. 20, is heading for a crushing defeat despite strong support from major political parties.

With close to 100 million voters in the country, Megawati's opponent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has garnered 61 percent of the vote, compared to the incumbent's 38.8 percent.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has scheduled the installation of the elected president for Oct. 20.

The Anticorruption Court is not yet functioning since the judges have yet to be sworn in despite the fact that Megawati issued a presidential decree on the formation of the court last month.

According to the law, it is the President -- not the chief justice-- who swears in the judges for the Anticorruption Court.

Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, the deputy chairman of the high- powered Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) welcomed the plan, saying that the commission was ready to submit high-profile corruption cases to the Anticorruption Court.

"We welcome the plan and thank the President for her commitment," he told The Jakarta Post.

KPK, Erry said, understood that Megawati had been very busy during the presidential campaign.

The corruption case involving an official of the communication ministry, Harun Letlet, is expected to be the first case submitted by the commission to the court.

Letlet is allegedly responsible for the mark-up of the construction of a seaport in Maluku, which cost the state some Rp 10 billion.

Another case involves Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Abdullah Puteh, who was allegedly responsible for a markup in the purchase of a Russian helicopter resulting in state losses of some Rp 4 billion.

The Anticorruption Court, which will try corruption cases handled by the KPK, would be installed at the district court, high court and supreme court level. As many as six career judges have been appointed to accompany the judges forming a panel of five judges of the court in each level.

The first Anticorruption Court is attached to the Central Jakarta District Court.