Lawyer threatens hunger strike for Adi Andojo

JAKARTA (JP): Moral support for Justice Adi Andojo Soetjipto, now facing dismissal for his public allegations of corruption on the Supreme Court, continued pouring in yesterday.

A Jakarta-based lawyer threatened to go on a hunger strike on the premises of the Supreme Court if President Soeharto endorses Chief Justice Soerjono's proposal to fire Adi.

The lawyer, Rudy Gunawan, sent Soerjono a letter telling him he was unbearably disappointed with the Chief Justice's plan to fire Adi when the justice was simply trying to put an end to the corruption.

"We Indonesians should be proud to have an honest justice like Adi Andojo who has the courage to uproot corruption, collusion and other deeds that smear the Supreme Court's image," Gunawan said in his letter, a copy of which was made available to The Jakarta Post.

Gunawan warned that dismissing Adi would have a "fatal impact" on justice seekers in Indonesia. People will lose their trust in the highest court and anarchy will prevail, he added.

"I will go on a hunger strike, until I die if necessary, if Adi Andojo is dismissed from his position as justice," Gunawan said.

Also yesterday, five students from Yogyakarta's Islamic University met with Adi at his office to show their support.

"It has become a public secret that the results of many trials were pre-arranged by external parties," said Kun Wahyu Wardhana, who led the group.

The students came to Jakarta in June after the justice was barred by Soerjono from addressing a discussion about the collusion charges.

Soerjono's action has drawn strong criticism from both university students and the public. (16)