KPK told to keep court documents confidential
<p>KPK told to keep court documents confidential</p><p>The Jakarta Post, Jakarta</p><p> Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan warned the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK) not to disclose the legal opinions
of the Probosutedjo appeal case to other parties they were
suppressed by law.</p><p>Bagir said that he and the two other justices handling the
Probosutedjo case decided to let KPK take the copies of their
legal opinions on the case with the understanding that KPK would
only use them for its investigation into the alleged bribery
case.</p><p>"According to the law, the legal opinion document is
confidential," he was quoted by Antara as saying.</p><p>KPK investigators on Thursday launched searched the offices
Bagir and the two other court justices Usman Karim and Parman
Soeparman as part of the investigation into the high-profile
bribery case. The investigators confiscated several documents
during the search for evidence.</p><p>The three justices sit on the panel of judges handling the
Probosutedjo appeal. There had been allegations that the justices
received bribes from the businessman via his lawyer so that he
could be acquitted from the alleged crime of embezzling
reforestation funds.</p><p>Probosutedjo, who is also the half-brother of former president
Soeharto, claimed he had disbursed some Rp 16 billion (US$1.6
million) in bribe money to judges at the district, high, and
supreme courts, and also to prosecutors and court clerks. The
Central Jakarta District Court in 2003 sentenced Probosutedjo to
four years in jail for embezzling reforestation funds that caused
the state to suffer some Rp 100 billion in losses. The Jakarta
High Court later halved the prison term.</p><p>He graft case was in the process of appeal at the Supreme
Court when the bribery allegations came to surface a month ago,
where Probosutedjo's lawyer was caught redhanded by KPK
investigators of handing over bribe money to Supreme Court staff.</p><p>There has been allegations that some Rp 5 billion had been
allocated to Bagir.</p><p>The justices has denied the allegations.</p><p>Meanwhile, Supreme Court deputy for supervision Gunanto
Suryono said that the court would start the probe into judges
allegedly involved in the bribery case next week.</p><p>He said that the investigation would be led by justice Artidjo
Alkostar.</p>
Eradication Commission (KPK) not to disclose the legal opinions
of the Probosutedjo appeal case to other parties they were
suppressed by law.</p><p>Bagir said that he and the two other justices handling the
Probosutedjo case decided to let KPK take the copies of their
legal opinions on the case with the understanding that KPK would
only use them for its investigation into the alleged bribery
case.</p><p>"According to the law, the legal opinion document is
confidential," he was quoted by Antara as saying.</p><p>KPK investigators on Thursday launched searched the offices
Bagir and the two other court justices Usman Karim and Parman
Soeparman as part of the investigation into the high-profile
bribery case. The investigators confiscated several documents
during the search for evidence.</p><p>The three justices sit on the panel of judges handling the
Probosutedjo appeal. There had been allegations that the justices
received bribes from the businessman via his lawyer so that he
could be acquitted from the alleged crime of embezzling
reforestation funds.</p><p>Probosutedjo, who is also the half-brother of former president
Soeharto, claimed he had disbursed some Rp 16 billion (US$1.6
million) in bribe money to judges at the district, high, and
supreme courts, and also to prosecutors and court clerks. The
Central Jakarta District Court in 2003 sentenced Probosutedjo to
four years in jail for embezzling reforestation funds that caused
the state to suffer some Rp 100 billion in losses. The Jakarta
High Court later halved the prison term.</p><p>He graft case was in the process of appeal at the Supreme
Court when the bribery allegations came to surface a month ago,
where Probosutedjo's lawyer was caught redhanded by KPK
investigators of handing over bribe money to Supreme Court staff.</p><p>There has been allegations that some Rp 5 billion had been
allocated to Bagir.</p><p>The justices has denied the allegations.</p><p>Meanwhile, Supreme Court deputy for supervision Gunanto
Suryono said that the court would start the probe into judges
allegedly involved in the bribery case next week.</p><p>He said that the investigation would be led by justice Artidjo
Alkostar.</p>