Arrests Reveal Judicial 'Mafia': Anti-Graft Experts

Jakarta Globe, February 15, 2016

The Corruption Eradication Commission headquarters in South Jakarta.
(Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Jakarta. The recent arrest of a Supreme Court official in a sting operation from the antigraft agency has revealed corrupt and mafia practices within the country's judicial system, experts said on Monday (15/02).

Andri Tristianto Sutrisna, the head of the Supreme Court’s subdivision for civil lawsuits, appeals and judicial reviews, was arrested with Rp 400 million (around $30,000) in cash during a late-night sting on Friday.

He allegedly received the bribe as pay off to delay the issuance of a cassation ruling in a graft case involving businessman Ichsan Suaidi.

Ichsan and another four suspects were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in separate busts on the same day.

Yenti Ganarsih, an expert in money laundering from Trisakti University, said the arrest of the court official reveals the "mafia" practices within the country's judicial system, which has been long running and involving high ranking officials of the Court.

"This practice has long been suspected. The decades-old Criminal Code Procedures Law, if its history is carefully reviewed, organizes kinds of bribery for the judges or the Court apparatus by the lawyers," Yenti said.

In 2013, Supreme Court clerk Djodi Supratman was jailed for two years for allegedly accepting Rp 128 million  in bribes from a lawyer in connection with an appeal being heard by the court.

The judicial process mafia is a latent risk and threatens trust in the Courts, Yenti said, adding that it is still difficult to eradicate corrupt practices.

The case should be studied by lawmakers currently fight for amendments to laws governing the anti-graft agency, Yenti said. The revisions are widely believed to weaken the authority of the KPK.

Lawmakers have proposed four revisions which would alter the scope of the KPK powers in the following areas: methods of conducting investigations, wiretapping, recruitment protocols and the establishment of a supervisory body to monitor the KPK.

Aradila Caesar, a researcher at the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), said the bust shows poor supervision and monitoring of the Supreme Court  — despite the institution already having an internal supervisory body.

He said the Supreme Court has opposed proper supervisions to the body by other parties, such as the Judicial Commission. On Oct. 7, Supreme Court won a judicial review at the Constitutional Court to annul Judicial Commission's roles in judges recruitment, letting the body to be fully authoritative in selecting the country's highest justices.

“The Supreme Court is resistant to supervisions [from other parties],”Aradila said.

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