Judges to take oath before Oct. 20

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.