KPK urged to launch probe into corrupt judiciary system
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.