Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday called on politicians to stop interfering in law enforcement matters as the resulting conflict of interest could further complicate cases.
"I appeal to all politicians in the executive or legislative bodies, at the central or regional level, to respect the authority of law enforcement officials so that they can do their jobs independently," Yudhoyono said at the Presidential Palace.
"Let me make it clear: politicians must not interfere in legal matters and law enforcers must not play politics. This is important to prevent conflicts of interest," he added.
The President was speaking during the opening ceremony of a joint meeting between the National Police, the Attorney General's Office, the Supreme Court and the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.
The meeting was attended by regional heads of police and prosecutors' offices, high courts and provincial offices of the Justice and Human Rights Ministry across the country.
Yudhoyono's statement comes amid bitter rivalry between politicians, law enforcement officials and government bureaucrats over corruption issues.
Since the Bank Century bailout case grabbed headlines late last year, legislators have been busy summoning and questioning senior government officials and top law enforcement officers over mounting legal cases.
At a hearing with the National Police last week, legislator Sarifudin Suding from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) asked senior police officer Insp. Gen. Herman Effendi to leave the room because Herman was also a member of the Judicial Mafia Taskforce and "should not be there".
Although Sarifudin's request was rejected by the chair of the meeting, legislator Benny K. Harman from Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, the gesture was generally seen as an indication of some legislators' growing dislike for the presidentially appointed taskforce, which was set up by Yudhoyono earlier this year to fight "legal mafia" in the country's law enforcement institutions.
Within its first four months of operation, the taskforce has brought into the spotlight several high-profile cases, such as preferential treatment for wealthy inmates in penitentiaries and an alleged case broker syndicate involving a tax officer and law enforcement officers in the National Police, the AGO, lawyers and businesspeople.
A video footage circulating recently on the Internet has also sparked criticism and doubt over the integrity of the taskforce in handling the case of Gayus Tambunan, the low-ranking tax officer accused of bribing police officers, prosecutors and judges to help clear him of graft charges.
The footage showed taskforce members Denny Indrayana and Mas Achmad Santosa chatting in a cafe in Singapore with then fugitive Gayus, whom they were after.
Denny acknowledged the scene in the footage but insisted that it was the way the taskforce successfully persuaded Gayus to return home to face legal proceedings. However, some politicians said the images added to doubts about the taskforce's integrity.
Responding to the President's call, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) legislator Fachry Hamzah defended his fellow legislators' actions, saying it was part of the House of Representatives' duty to control the government and law enforcers.
"Intervention is when you obstruct a legal process. We will keep criticizing when something isn't right and we must do our best to uncover scandals," Fachry said.