Nine nominees pass test for graft court
Nine nominees pass test for graft court
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta
The Supreme Court is expected to approve nine candidates that
were selected by a screening process to sit on the ad hoc
corruption tribunal, which will be set up later this year.
"We have selected nine candidates and submitted their names to
the Supreme Court for approval. The court will submit the names
to the President," said Moegiharjo, the director of the Supreme
Court's criminal division, on Tuesday.
According to Moegiharjo, who is also a member of the selection
team, the candidates are those that achieved the best results in
the screening process. He declined to explain further.
The Supreme Court needs 16 ad hoc judges to sit on the ad hoc
corruption tribunal with 12 career judges, who were selected last
year.
Candidates that were selected by the screening process are
former prosecutor Hamrat Hamid, lawyer MS Lumme and
Constitutional Commission member Krisna Harahap, and lecturer
Abdurrahman.
Former religious judge As'adi al-Ma'ruf and Ministry of
Justice and Human Rights advisor Sudiro passed the screening
process for the ad hoc corruption tribunal at the high court
level while lecturers Dudu Duswara, Achmad Linoh and public
notary I Made Hendra Kusuma passed at the district court level.
They were selected from a total of 25 candidates, who attended
interviews last week.
Separately, Rifqi Sjarief Assegaf, an activist and member of
the selection team, said that the Supreme Court would review the
list before submitting it to the President.
Asep Rahmat Fadjar, the coordinator of the Judiciary Observer
Coalition (KPP), supported their opinion, questioning the
integrity of some of the candidates who were selected.
"Indeed, the integrity of most of the candidates is
questionable. They are the best of the worst. But I do expect the
Supreme Court to disqualify some of those who were selected," he
said.
Some activists have questioned the selection team for picking
MS Lumme, a former judge, as he is a partner of Lawrence TP
Siburian and Associates law office. Lawrence is a member and
legal counsel of the Golkar Party, while Abdurrahman was once
involved in the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Some members of the selection team have complained over the
low quality of the candidates, particularly with regard to their
integrity and legal expertise. Justice Abdurrahman Saleh mulled
the reselection of the judges of the ad hoc corruption court due
to the poor quality of the candidates.
He said that judges for the corruption court must be honest
and posses legal expertise because they will handle high-profile
corruption cases.
The ad hoc corruption court will only hear cases brought by
the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The latter is
authorized to prosecute corruption cases that cost the state at
least Rp 1 billion.
The establishment of the KPK, which has the power to summon
anyone without prior approval from the President, and the ad hoc
corruption court, is the country's latest move to reduce rampant
corruption practices.
The move is made following the failure of the National Police
and the Attorney General's Office to prosecute high-profile
corruptors, most of whom have managed, with relative ease, to
flee to other countries.