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.