Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh to take firm action against public prosecutors found guilty of unethical conduct to strengthen public trust in the profession.
"The attorney general must take resolute steps without discrimination against any prosecutors found to have violated their code of ethics," Yudhoyono said in his speech read out by deputy attorney general Basyrief Arief to mark the Attorney General's Office 46th anniversary celebrations here Saturday.
Abdul Rahman led a similar celebration at the Banjarmasin Prosecutor's Office in South Kalimantan.
In the speech, the President asked the AGO to increase its monitoring function and to follow up public complaints about prosecutors' performance. "The AGO must take immediate, thorough and proportional action in response to reports from the public to improve its image and performance," he said.
Yudhoyono stressed the AGO was an independent body and not beholden to the government. Nobody, including the president, is legally allowed to influence the work of law enforcement agencies, he said. "Although prosecutors are state officials and part of the government, I will never interfere their jobs," he said.
To improve its performance, the AGO has recently recruited new prosecutors, revamped its employment structure and is closely monitoring officials' work, Basyrief said after the ceremony.
Staff are being trained to help them prosecute cases of organized crime and corruption, he said. "Dealing with bad prosecutors has been our central focus" and unethical prosecutors will be fired, Basyrief said.
The AGO recently named two prosecutors – Cecep Sunarto and Burdju Roni – suspects for allegedly taking bribes worth Rp 550 million while working on a case involving state insurance firm PT Jamsostek. The two will be arrested soon, deputy attorney general for special crimes Hendarman Supandji said Saturday.
AGO chief of internal monitoring Togar Hutabarat said last week his office was investigating Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Rusdi Taher, subordinate Nur Rahmat, and West Jakarta chief prosecutor Dimas Sukadis for alleged misconduct in the lenient sentencing of drug dealer Hariono Agus Cahyono.
Hariono was jailed for three years recently after being found guilty of possessing and distributing 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Prosecutors had sought a six-year jail term for him, while the maximum penalty for the offense is death.