KPK urged to launch probe into corrupt judiciary system
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been urged to look into reports and public complaints on allegations of corrupt practices over the handling of high-profile cases by the National Police, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and courts.
J.E. Sahetapy, a law professor from the Surabaya-based Airlangga University in East Java, and Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) coordinator Teten Masduki said separately that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should show his strong political commitment to eradicate endemic corruption by first cleansing law enforcers.
"If the President has a political commitment, he must order an in-house cleansing at National Police headquarters, the AGO and the courts at all levels," Sahetapy said.
"He must also assign the KPK to follow up on public complaints and reports on recent controversial court verdicts," he added.
He said the President's move to establish the interdepartmental corruption eradication team (Tipikor) overlapped with the existing KPK, and that the two institutions could clash when handling major corruption cases.
"Tipikor should be dissolved and KPK should instead be further strengthened to launch sting operations aimed at eradicating corruption," Sahetapi said.
The KPK has bared its teeth by investigating major graft cases at the General Elections Commission (KPU), in which several suspects were detained including KPU chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin.
Recently, the KPK has complained over a lack of personnel to handle the investigations into many corruption cases reported to it.
Teten said most people were reluctant to bring their cases to police for fears of being extorted, while suspects in high- profile cases often bribed police or AGO investigators to seek release or avoid heavier punishments.
"Many defendants in high-profile cases are believed to have paid judges and court clerks to be acquitted of charges or to get light sentences.
"This strong indication is clear when Golkar Party official Nurdin Halid was recently acquitted of corruption charges and businessman Adiguna Sutowo was given a light sentence for killing a bar attendant," Teten said.
He further argued that the ICW had filed a number of reports and complaints on alleged corruption cases to the National Police, AGO and courts, but there had so far been no response.
"The ICW has examined 17 high-profile cases, including the first judicial review of the case of former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra and the appeal of former minister/state secretary Akbar Tandjung, and the examinations found strong indications of bribes behind the verdicts," he said.
The Supreme Court acceded last week to a request for a sentence review submitted by Tommy, and cut the original prison sentence to 10 years.
Tommy initially received a 15-year sentence after he was found guilty of storing illegal weapons and explosives, and ordering the murder of Supreme Court justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who was a member of the judicial panel that had given Tommy a prison term for graft.
The Supreme Court had also acquitted Akbar of graft charges last year, involving the National Logistics Agency (Bulog).
Teten said the core problem was that the Supreme Court had no political commitment to make changes and or to tight supervision of its own judges and others in lower courts.
"As long as the government and the Supreme Court have no political commitment to cleanse corrupt law enforcers, the reform of the judiciary system will not make any progress and justice will not be upheld," he said.