Minister orders probe on allegedly tainted verdict

Minister orders probe on allegedly tainted verdict

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Acting on complaints from the victim's widow, Minister of
Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra has ordered an
investigation into a sentence, reportedly tainted by corruption,
handed down at a murder trial in Tangerang District court last
week.

A source at the ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity,
confirmed that on Dec. 31 Yusril ordered the director general for
the judiciary and state administration (PU-TUN), Sudjatno, to
probe the trial that led to the unusually light sentence handed
down two days before.

"This is a heavy responsibility, and I have to report the
probe results to the minister as soon a possible," the victim's
widow, V. Megarana Dewi Yueni, quoted Sudjatno as saying.

Should the panel of judges who tried the case and sentenced
the defendant -- along with the prosecutors who argued for a
lighter charge -- are proven to have been bribed, they will be
sanctioned, pledged Sudjatno.

On Friday, Tangerang Distric Court sentenced businessman Tan
Thiong Keng to six years in prison for killing another
businessman he suspected of having an affair with his wife, while
attempting to extort money from her.

Judge Sitinjak said that the defendant, popularly known as
Eeng, 41, and a resident of the Modern Land housing complex in
Tangerang was guilty only of "assault that resulted in the death"
of Rudiyanto, 37, who lived in the same complex, on Sept. 15 of
last year.

Ever since early stages of the trial, speculation had emerged
that the prosecutors, who were seen meeting with the defendant
prior to each day in court, had been influenced by bribes to
reduce the charges against him.

Prosecutors M. Adam and Victor Silitonga had earlier charged
the defendant with violating Articles 338 and 351 of the Criminal
Code in premeditated murder and assault, resulting in the
victim's death and demanded 10 years imprisonment.

The victim's widow, Megarana, said the defendant, driven by a
blind rage of jealousy, had killed a wrong man, but got off with
a very light sentence.

"I don't understand why the defendant was not charged with ...
premeditated murder, because the defendant, along with his two
men, purposely came to my house, carrying two FN 46 pistols to
kill my husband," she told The Jakarta Post..

She added that the defendant also possessed the weapons
illegally, and therefore should also face charges of the
emergency law No 12/1951, on illegal possession of firearms.

Upset with the light punishment, Megarana filed complaints
with the minister on Dec. 29, saying that prosecutors' charges
and court ruling must have been influenced by bribes and
therefore be investigated.

She also sent copies of the complaints to Attorney General A.
Rahman, Supreme Court Chief Bagir Manan, National Police Chief
Da'i bachtiar, National Commission on Human Rights and People's
Consultative Assembly speaker Amin Rais, and House of
Representatives speaker Akbar Tanjung, along with the West Java
High court and prosecutors' office.

Sitinjak, who presided over the trial sessions, was out of the
office and could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Court
spokesman Ade Komarudin was reluctant to disclose the details
when asked about the minister's instruction.