Most judges fail to clarify their wealth: KPKPN

Most judges fail to clarify their wealth: KPKPN

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The drive to cleanse the judiciary of corruption and collusion
appears more difficult than expected with the latest revelation
by the Audit Commission on State Officials' Assets (KPKPN) that
many judges have failed to clarify their wealth.

Petrus Selestinus, who works at the commission in charge for
examining the assets of judicial officials, made the statement
over the weekend.

He, however, declined to comment on media reports that the
assets reported by a majority of the 1,483 judges who reported to
the commission did not match their total income.

He revealed that some of the judges, mostly those in big
cities, were known to spend a total of Rp 1 billion (US$130,000)
in one year to buy cars or houses, although in their reports
their gross monthly salaries were less than Rp 3 million.

The latest increase in judges's salaries, which was approved
this year, ranges from Rp 3 million to Rp 7 million for court
judges, while justices receive between Rp 11 million and Rp 17
million.

"Following the reports we have summoned the judges to clarify
their wealth. Most have failed to give a logical explanation. Our
temporary conclusion is that we suspect they have other invalid
income sources," Petrus told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Chaerul Imam, KPKPN deputy chairman, said that only 35 percent
of the judges, prosecutors and police officers have returned the
forms of wealth declaration.

"Just this year, we asked 300 of them to clarify their wealth.
And we have found many indications of corruption. But again, the
investigation is still under way," he told the Post.

Should anything illegal be found in the reports, KPKPN will
hand the cases either to state prosecutors or the police.

In 2001, the commission revealed 30 corruption cases, four of
them involving judicial officials.

"The figure is expected to rise this year," Petrus said.

KPKPN was established last year to verify the wealth of state
officials and legislators. It has the power not only to audit the
assets of state officials but also to investigate troubled
reports and bring them to court.

Petrus, who is a lawyer, said that judges in big cities often
fail to register their properties on the list of assets for fear
the commission will investigate them.

The most conspicuous example, he cited, was the wealth report
of Commercial Court Judge Hasan Basri, whose controversial
bankruptcy ruling against the Toronto-based insurance firm PT
Asuransi Jiwa Manulife has brought him to the attention of KPKPN.

Hasan had declared assets of Rp 1.289 billion, which he said
was the accumulation of his savings as a judge since 1969. In the
investigation, he admitted that around 10 percent of his assets
came from those who had won their cases.

Hasan's colleague, Ch. Kristi Purnamiwulan, reported in
October 2001 she had total assets amounting to Rp 1.1 billion.
Six months later, she admitted to having another Rp 1.4 billion
in eight bank accounts.

Kristi claimed the money was her husband's inheritance. The
KPKPN will soon trace the accounts, Petrus said.

Though she initially claimed that her plush house in Pejaten
Timur, South Jakarta, belongs to her sibling, Kristi later said
she bought it by borrowing her sibling's money.

But she told investigators that she had forgotten whether she
had paid this year's installment.