Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – A member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Achmad Ali, claims the South Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office has wrongly named him as a suspect in a graft case without questioning him.

Achmad, a law professor at Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, explained his view of the legal conflict to Komnas HAM leadership Wednesday.

Achmad, who is also a member of the Commission for Truth and Friendship, said the attorneys had trampled on his right to equal treatment before the law. "I come here as citizen whose rights have been violated," he told journalists after meeting with Komnas HAM leadership.

South Sulawesi Prosecutors's Office head Masyhudi Ridwan named Achmad a suspect in a Rp 250 million (US$27,000) graft case on Sept. 2, while he was taking a recruitment test for the position of Supreme Court justice in Jakarta. "I'm not saying that the decision is politically motivated, but it was made while I was taking a test as a candidate for justice," Achmad said.

He was accused of misappropriating state revenue from the university's postgraduate program while acting as dean of the law school from 1999 to 2001. He was also accused of embezzling tuition fees. Achmad said he had never been questioned over the case. "I was suddenly named a suspect," he said.

He also maintained that he was not in charge of the management of the university's master's degree program. "Neither was I ever involved in the decision-making about the postgraduate program."

Achmad's report was received by Komnas HAM member Said Nizar, the deputy head of the commission's division on civil and political rights violations.

Meanwhile, Judicial Commission member Irawady said the body had no plans to take action against Achmad for his legal status. "There is no regulation banning a criminal from applying for a position as a Supreme Court justice," he said.

He said the Judicial Commission would let the authorities continue the probe into Achmad's case, while the recruitment process went on. "If he is found guilty, we will retract our support for his justice candidacy," he said.

Outside the Komnas-HAM offices, the Alliance of Makassar Students staged a rally in support of Achmad, whom they described as a "clean intellectual".

They accused the South Sulawesi Prosecutors' Office of being paid to tarnish Achmad's image. They demanded that the rights commission and the National Police investigate Masyhudi, whom they alleged of practicing "character assassination" against Achmad. "The naming of Professor Achmad Ali as a suspect in the graft case is politically motivated," a student protester said.