Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – New Supreme Court chief justice Harifin A. Tumpa admits there are problems within the country's judiciary, but denies allegations that the institution he leads is infested with corruption.
Citing recent surveys conducted by Transparency International Indonesia (TII) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Harifin said Tuesday the findings indicated a lack of control within the judiciary.
"Yes, I've certainly seen the results of the surveys by TII and the KPK," he at the State Palace, shortly after a ceremony to inaugurate him as the chief justice. "I think there's something wrong, perhaps a lack of control in the management [of the judiciary]."
Deputy chief justice for judicial affairs Abdul Kadir Mappong and deputy chief justice for nonjudicial affairs Ahmad Kamil were also sworn in at Tuesday's ceremony.
"We will improve supervision; that will be part of our job," Harifin said. "I'm not sure, however, if there is such thing as a 'court mafia', but of course we will take firm action against anyone found guilty [of involvement in it]."
The TII perception index survey, released last month, found that the police force was the most bribe-riddled public institution in the country. The survey, however, revealed that bribery in the judiciary was the most costly.
The KPK released its integrity survey last week, singling out the judiciary as the most corrupt public institution. It ranked the three district courts of West Jakarta, North Jakarta and Central Jakarta as the most graft-ridden of all public institutions polled.
Harifin said he and his deputies would initiate measures to clear the court's backlog of cases, but insisted the Supreme Court leadership would "maintain the existing system".
To boost transparency, Harifin said the Supreme Court would allow the Supreme Audit Agency to examine its revenues from the collection of fees for handling cases.
Harifin's predecessor, Bagir Manan, was embroiled last year in a lengthy dispute with BPK chief Anwar Nasution over the agency's plan to audit the Supreme Court's financial report.
Indonesia Corruption Watch, a vociferous critic of the Supreme Court, has filed a report with the KPK on alleged collective corruption between 2006 and 2008 within the Supreme Court.
Quoting the BPK report, ICW said the misappropriations included a Rp 13 billion disbursement for unjustified expenses in the recruitment of civil servants, fees charged to those filing legal cases, faked official trips, and other unjustified expenses.
The BPK also found Supreme Court officials cashed in Rp 917.33 million from the budget allocated for their insurance premiums between 2006 and 2007.
Harifin, 67, was elected the new chief justice last month, replacing Bagir, who turned 70 and retired in November last year after leading the court for seven years.
The Supreme Court also elected Abdul Kadir, 67, and Ahmad, 62, as deputy chiefs. Their inauguration on Tuesday marks the start of the three top justices' five-year term from 2009 to 2014.
However, with the controversial 2008 Supreme Court Law requiring justices to step down at 70, it looks like Harifin and Abdul may only serve for three years. The law extended the retirement age of justices from 65 years to 70 years.