KPK plans to summon chief justice in bribery case

KPK plans to summon chief justice in bribery case

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Following public pressure, the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK) said on Wednesday it would question Supreme Court chief
Bagir Manan and two other justices in connection with alleged
bribery by former president Soeharto's half-brother Probosutedjo.

"We will (summon) them in the future," KPK chairman
Taufikurrahman Ruki told journalists after attending a ceremony
at the State Palace.

Ruki said the KPK did not expect problems in questioning the
justices as the Supreme Court had already promised to allow it to
do so.

"During a meeting with the Supreme Court leadership, they
opened the door (for questioning of its judges)," he said.

Separately, Bagir, who chairs the panel of three justices
dealing with Probosutedjo's appeal against his graft conviction,
said that he is ready to face questioning, should it be deemed
necessary.

"We are open to that. Let the KPK do its job," he said.

Bagir said that he along with two other justices -- Parman
Suparman and Usman Karim -- have completed a review of the
Probosutedjo corruption case.

The chief justice said he had no plans to change the panel of
judges.

"We will not be influenced by the (bribery) case. We have from
the very beginning intended to complete this case soon, but some
parties have suggested that we delay in order that we don't
deliver a verdict based on emotion," Bagir said

The bribery scam came to surface with the KPK arresting five
employees of the Supreme Court and a judge-turned-lawyer who had
acted for Probosutedjo in handling his appeal case.

The KPK confiscated sums totaling US$400,000 and Rp 800
million (US$80,000), which were allegedly used to bribe Bagir and
other judges so they would rule in favor of Probosutedjo.

Probosutedjo has confessed to spending a total of Rp 16
billion to bribe judges and prosecutors as well as court clerks
at lower and higher levels to have the charges against him
dropped, or for a lenient sentence to be imposed.

He was prosecuted for his involvement in corruption involving
reforestation funds that caused state losses of some Rp 100
billion.

The Central Jakarta District Court jailed him for four years,
which was one year heavier than that sought by prosecutors. The
Jakarta High Court later reduced the jail term to two years'
imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has set up a team to investigate
judges in the district and high courts who had earlier heard the
Probosutedjo case.

"I don't care if some of them have retired or no longer live
in Jakarta. They will be questioned and we will chase them," said
justice Gunanto Suryono who heads the Supreme Court's supervision
division.

Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh has also said that his
office would investigate the possible involvement of prosecutors
in the case.

"We have questioned prosecutor (Ketut) Murtika. He has denied
any wrongdoing. We need more evidence," he told reporters,
referring to the chief prosecutor handling the Probosutedjo graft
case.

The bribery case implicating the highest level of the
judiciary has exposed Indonesia's appalling legal system and
further demonstrates the system's inability to deal with big-time
white-collar criminals.