Jakarta – Former Constitutional Court chief Jimly Asshiddiqie has urged the Supreme Court (MA) to evaluate the performance of interim judges at regional anti-corruption courts, following the recent surge in the number of acquittals handed down by the courts.

"If they can't be controlled, then the Supreme Court has to immediately evaluate the human resources and judges in the regional courts," he said on Saturday, as quoted by kompas.com.

The regional anti-graft courts have come in for fierce criticism after a rising number of corruption defendants have been allowed to walk free.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) revealed that regional courts have acquitted up to 40 defendants over the past year.

The latest case of graft-defendant acquittals saw the Samarinda anti-graft court release fourteen regional lawmakers allegedly involved in the embezzlement of state funds worth Rp 2.98 billion.

The high number of judges ruling graft defendants innocent was a worry that Jimly said needed to be addressed by the Supreme Court.

"So the Supreme Court must pay serious attention to these matters by evaluating and tightening up judicial selection in regions," he said.