Justice ministry comes under fire

JAKARTA (JP): Legislators criticized on Monday the use of the safety net funds under the Ministry of Justice, saying that instead of using it to formulate laws and renovate buildings, it was better spent to facilitate legal aid to the needy.

Many of the poor now faced jail sentences for petty crimes, many of which were driven by economic causes, Aisyah Amini, head of the Commission I overseeing, among other things, administration, said. She was citing observations from legislators' recent visits to jails.

"Why has the government allotted the ministry's Rp 7 billion fund to sectors of lesser priority such as the drafting of bills and renovation of commercial courts?," the member of the United Development Party said.

She was questioning the Ministry of Justice, represented by its Secretary General Soejetty Wardhanto in the hearing with the Commission.

Soejetty had said that out of the ministry's 1998/1999 budget of Rp 99.07 billion it had allotted Rp 7.45 billion for its social safety net program, "for reform of the law and the commercial court of Ujungpandang" in South Sulawesi.

Aryati Bambang Sigit of the ruling Golkar faction pointed out the minimal allotment of funds to develop legal aid for the public, which was Rp 4 billion in the current budget.

She said legal aid should gain more priority than, for instance, transfer of judges and other ministry staff.

The ministry budget allotted Rp 4.9 billion for this sector, for which it requested another Rp 7.5 billion.

However the secretary general maintained the allotment was in line with the target of the social safety net funds which she said included providing social security.

"We are indirectly encouraging social security," she said. The drafting of bills adds to legal certainty and help prevent more riots, she insisted. (01)