Prosecutors cleared from bribery charges
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office has cleared six prosecutors of allegations that they accepted bribes from three businessmen who were acquitted of tax evasion charges by the Surabaya court in East Java.
The prosecutors from the East Java high prosecutor's office and the Surabaya prosecutor's office, however, have been given a "medium degree of punishment" by holding their pay-increased for on year effective from June 7.
A lighter punishment in the form of a reprimand has been given to a senior prosecutor from the Surabaya District Court for failing to tightly supervise his subordinates.
Attorney General Singgih told members of Commission III at the House of Representatives (DPR) yesterday that there was no proof that the prosecutors had accepted bribes from the defendants, who were accused of illegally avoiding payment of the value added tax.
"The rumors that the defendants or other people bribed the prosecutors could not be proven," he said.
Singgih was responding to questions first raised by the lawyers of one of the acquitted businessmen.
His statement came only a few days after the Supreme Court cleared a top Surabaya judge of allegations that he was bribed to acquit the businessmen.
Judge Sarwono, however, has been disciplined for misconduct and has lost his chances for promotion to head of the district court in Medan, North Sumatra.
Singgih told the hearing yesterday that investigators had confirmed that a number of prosecutors received relatives of the defendants at their homes to discuss the case and this went against the Attorney General's policy.
Nothing irregular
Responding to a question by legislator Soesanto Bangunnagoro about the tape which purportedly contained a telephone conversation between the defendant's lawyers and a prosecutor, Singgih said the investigators has listened to the tape but found nothing irregular.
Legislator Ibnu Saleh challenged the fairness of the result, saying that superiors tend to defend their subordinates. Commenting on this question, the Attorney General said that the impartiality of the investigation could be tested.
Singgih also called on the public not to offer the prosecutors any rewards in order to maintain justice.
He explained that during the fifth Five Year Development Plan, a total of 666 prosecutors were disciplined for various violations.
Singgih also reported that during the same five-year period, his office uncovered corruption cases involving Rp 2.7 trillion ($1.25 billion) of state funds. (par/pan)