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.