Prosecutors cleared from bribery charges
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)