Jakarta – Working from home takes on a whole new meaning in the fight against graft in Indonesia, with courts moving to the virtual world to hear corruption cases. The trials will also be live-streamed to make them accessible for the general public.
The Law and Human Rights Ministry said all court hearings could be held with suspects staying at their detention centers and not having to show up at the court, according to the Corruption Eradication Commission.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered to suspend all trials in view of the coronovirus outbreak, except for cases where a defendant's detention period is about to end and cannot be extended.
The ruling follows a government instruction to suspend all public gatherings and practice physical distancing to prevent the virus from spreading.
But in a letter to the Supreme Court, the Law and Human Rights Ministry said trials could be conducted with the use of video-conference technology and hearings could be made accessible to the public by live-streaming them, KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said Thursday.
The KPK and the Central Jakarta District Court, in which most trial on corruption cases handled by the antigraft body are held, had agreed to proceed with virtual hearings while observing the protocols, he said, adding that they had successfully tested the procedure.
The KPK has the power to detain suspects for up to 120 days. (mfp)