Corruption Eradication Back at Point Zero
Monday, 12 February, 2007 | 13:12 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Justice and Human Rights Department’s plan to annul ad hoc anti-corruption court judges in the Corruption Criminal Acts Eradication Draft Bill has been opposed by many parties.

“This way, corruption eradication would end up being back at point zero,” said Adnan Topan Husodo, a member of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Workers Board, yesterday (11/2).

According to him, ad hoc judges are still required because conventional judges often fail in accelerating corruption eradication efforts.

“Corruption criminal acts courts will disappear if ad hoc judges are annulled,” said Adnan.

“This would be a victory for groups that want corruption to be eradicated conventionally,” he said.

Article 38 of the draft bill states that one year after the decree comes into effect, special judges must be pointed for corruption criminal acts in every district court.

According to the head of the draft bill’s steering committee, Andi Hamzah, the special judges must be career judges, “who are given special training,” he said.

Although the draft bill has not yet passed and approved by DPR, the Supreme Court has already started preparing career judges for corruption case trials.

“This will be carried out starting April,” said Supreme Court Chairman Bagir Manan.

However, when asked about the existence of ad hoc judges, Bagir refused to comment, only saying, “Ad hoc is another matter.”

Emerson Yuntho, Coordinator of ICW’s Law and Judicature Monitoring Division, said the Supreme Court’s wish was an attack on corruption eradication and against ad hoc judges’ existence.

“Career judges’ suitability in terms of handling corruption cases must be questioned,” said Emerson yesterday.

According to him, ad hoc judges are still required because corruption is an extraordinary felony so it needs special treatment.

Tito Sianipar | Rini Kustiani - TNR