Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 14, 2006 12:21:18 GMT -5
Prosecuting the prosecutors
The ongoing showdown within the Attorney General's Office could raise
further doubts about its commitment to law enforcement.
Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Rusdi Taher officially challenged
Tuesday a decision by Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh to suspend him
in connection with sentence irregularities in the case of suspects caught
with drugs.
The dispute comes on the heels of an incident Monday at the House of
Representatives, in which a student hurled a rotten egg at Deputy Attorney
General for Special Crimes Hendarman Supandji prior to a hearing.
Such disrespect is intolerable. But such acts may also be motivated by
feelings of impatience, frustration or perhaps loss of confidence in the
AGO, which is expected to uphold the law without compromise.
The tension brewing between Abdul Rahman and Rusdi has become the
embodiment of every ailment besetting the AGO. The institution has long
been associated with the country's corrupt judicial system, where justice
has a price.
It is understandable if Abdul Rahman, as the boss, prevented Rusdi on
Monday from clarifying his complaints about constantly being under
"pressure from the top" not to come down hard in certain cases. But Abdul
Rahman cannot hide behind institutional ethics to cover up practices that
would keep him from realizing his post-inauguration pledge to build an
independent law enforcement agency.
Many suspect Rusdi is just a fall guy fighting back but what he has
revealed to the media needs to be verified. The senior prosecutor claimed
that, just 1 1/2 years after taking office, he had repeatedly been
pressured by his superiors or top government officials to help suspects
get light sentences or have their cases dropped.
Rusdi was relieved from his professional duties after the AGO found him
guilty of violating the code of conduct for prosecutors. The AGO's
internal affairs office had discovered 2 drafts of a sentence demand for
Hariono Agus Tjahjono, who was on trial for trafficking 20 kilograms of
shabu-shabu or crystal methamphetamine. Rusdi denied having ordered the
prosecutors in charge of the case to seek 3 years' jail, far from the
maximum penalty of death.
Letting the cat out of the bag, Rusdi said top officials at the State
Secretariat had put pressure on him to drop a corruption case in the deal
to use state assets in Kemayoran for business interests involving
businesswoman Hartati Murdaya. He also said the deputy attorney general
for special crimes had asked him to seek 1 1/2 years' jail for Jakarta
Elections Commission chief M. Taufik in a graft case.
Not long ago, 2 prosecutors faced a disciplinary hearing for allegedly
extorting Ahmad Djunaidi, the former president director of state social
security firm Jamsostek, in exchange for a light sentence. Police have
named the prosecutors suspects and detained them, pending their trial.
The so-called court mafia -- involving prosecutors, judges, court clerks
and lawyers -- has made its presence felt, but most of the time it is
difficult to prove its existence. Only a few cases have been brought to
justice.
If true, Rusdi's claims are another blow to efforts to restore the
credibility of the AGO, which in the past served the interests of the
regime.
Hopes were high when Abdul Rahman was appointed as attorney general 2
years ago that he would lead his 7,000-strong force to instigate change.
As a former lawyer with a legal aid institute, many had absolute faith in
Abdul Rahman's integrity and sense of justice.
It is hoped that Rusdi's suspension will kick start a formal probe into
allegations that he arranged a lenient sentence demand for drug suspect
Hariono, as well as into other practices by state prosecutors that have
been brushed under the carpet.
Poor law enforcement not only takes away opportunities for justice to
prevail, but undermines the country's recovery program as a whole.
Inconsistent law enforcement has scared away investors, resulting in job
losses.
Too much is at stake if law enforcers fail to come clean.
(source: Editorial, Jakarta Post)
The ongoing showdown within the Attorney General's Office could raise
further doubts about its commitment to law enforcement.
Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Rusdi Taher officially challenged
Tuesday a decision by Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh to suspend him
in connection with sentence irregularities in the case of suspects caught
with drugs.
The dispute comes on the heels of an incident Monday at the House of
Representatives, in which a student hurled a rotten egg at Deputy Attorney
General for Special Crimes Hendarman Supandji prior to a hearing.
Such disrespect is intolerable. But such acts may also be motivated by
feelings of impatience, frustration or perhaps loss of confidence in the
AGO, which is expected to uphold the law without compromise.
The tension brewing between Abdul Rahman and Rusdi has become the
embodiment of every ailment besetting the AGO. The institution has long
been associated with the country's corrupt judicial system, where justice
has a price.
It is understandable if Abdul Rahman, as the boss, prevented Rusdi on
Monday from clarifying his complaints about constantly being under
"pressure from the top" not to come down hard in certain cases. But Abdul
Rahman cannot hide behind institutional ethics to cover up practices that
would keep him from realizing his post-inauguration pledge to build an
independent law enforcement agency.
Many suspect Rusdi is just a fall guy fighting back but what he has
revealed to the media needs to be verified. The senior prosecutor claimed
that, just 1 1/2 years after taking office, he had repeatedly been
pressured by his superiors or top government officials to help suspects
get light sentences or have their cases dropped.
Rusdi was relieved from his professional duties after the AGO found him
guilty of violating the code of conduct for prosecutors. The AGO's
internal affairs office had discovered 2 drafts of a sentence demand for
Hariono Agus Tjahjono, who was on trial for trafficking 20 kilograms of
shabu-shabu or crystal methamphetamine. Rusdi denied having ordered the
prosecutors in charge of the case to seek 3 years' jail, far from the
maximum penalty of death.
Letting the cat out of the bag, Rusdi said top officials at the State
Secretariat had put pressure on him to drop a corruption case in the deal
to use state assets in Kemayoran for business interests involving
businesswoman Hartati Murdaya. He also said the deputy attorney general
for special crimes had asked him to seek 1 1/2 years' jail for Jakarta
Elections Commission chief M. Taufik in a graft case.
Not long ago, 2 prosecutors faced a disciplinary hearing for allegedly
extorting Ahmad Djunaidi, the former president director of state social
security firm Jamsostek, in exchange for a light sentence. Police have
named the prosecutors suspects and detained them, pending their trial.
The so-called court mafia -- involving prosecutors, judges, court clerks
and lawyers -- has made its presence felt, but most of the time it is
difficult to prove its existence. Only a few cases have been brought to
justice.
If true, Rusdi's claims are another blow to efforts to restore the
credibility of the AGO, which in the past served the interests of the
regime.
Hopes were high when Abdul Rahman was appointed as attorney general 2
years ago that he would lead his 7,000-strong force to instigate change.
As a former lawyer with a legal aid institute, many had absolute faith in
Abdul Rahman's integrity and sense of justice.
It is hoped that Rusdi's suspension will kick start a formal probe into
allegations that he arranged a lenient sentence demand for drug suspect
Hariono, as well as into other practices by state prosecutors that have
been brushed under the carpet.
Poor law enforcement not only takes away opportunities for justice to
prevail, but undermines the country's recovery program as a whole.
Inconsistent law enforcement has scared away investors, resulting in job
losses.
Too much is at stake if law enforcers fail to come clean.
(source: Editorial, Jakarta Post)