Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – An alliance of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) launched on Wednesday a national movement to fight corruption in the country's judiciary system, which they said had reached an alarming level.
The NGOs will soon set up posts in the capital cities of the country's provinces to compile complaints and reports on corrupt practices in the judiciary system as well as provide legal assistance for justice seekers and witnesses in corruption cases.
"This movement will also cooperate with the Judicial Commission and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to follow up reports on corruption in the judiciary system and provide protection for those filing reports on corruption cases," said Firmansyah Arifin, coordinator of the National Consortium for Legal Reform (KRHN), during a ceremony.
KRHN and several other leading NGOs such as the Indonesian Corruption Watchdog (ICW), Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, Society for Monitoring of the Indonesian Judiciary (Mapi), Indonesian Transparency Society (MTI) and Transparency International (TI) initiated the antigraft movement.
Firmansyah said that corruption in the judiciary system had reached an alarming level as it was systemic and involved not only judges and clerks in district courts but also senior judges in the higher courts and the Supreme Court. "The malpractice in the judiciary system is prevalent, both in terms of level and quantity," he said, pointing out the bribery case implicating Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan and other judges as one example of how corruption was deeply entrenched in the judiciary system.
Firmansyah said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must continue the antigraft campaign as corruption in the court system had damaged public confidence and scared investors away.
Judicial Commission Chairman Busyro Muqoddas expressed appreciation for the anticorruption movement, saying it would encourage the public to file reports on corruption cases in state institutions, the bureaucracy and the judiciary system.
"The Judicial Commission needs to have good cooperation with all elements in the society, including the mass media, to file reports on corruption cases and to eliminate the corruption among law enforcers," he said.
ICW coordinator Teten Masduki called on the government and the House of Representatives to speed up the deliberation of the draft law on protection of witnesses to ensure protection for those reporting incidents of corruption. He said that the law was a crucial element of the intensified drive against the rampant corruption in the country.