House in deadlock over corruption prosecution

The House of Representatives' working committee for the corruption court bill is still in disagreement over the issue of who can prosecute graft cases.

"No decision has been made on the issue,” committee deputy chairman Syamsudin Haris told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He added two existing laws conflicted over the issue.

The Criminal Code and the law on attorneys stipulate prosecutions fall under the authority of the Attorney General’s Office, while the law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stipulates the prosecutors for the Corruption Court must be appointed by the KPK.

Currently, the latter holds sway at the Corruption Court.

Committee member Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said a proposal to revoke the KPK's prosecuting power and give it to the AGO was made during a lobbying session between the House and government Monday night.

Antigraft groups accuse the House and the government of trying to undermine the corruption eradication drive by limiting the powers of the KPK.

Transparency International Indonesia (TII) executive director Todung Mulya Lubis said recently the KPK's influence in prosecution was still needed, claiming district prosecutors' integrity remained badly tarnished.

The Constitutional Court ruled in 2006 that the Corruption Court could lose its legal basis because it was established under the KPK law, not the law on judicial powers.

The Constitutional Court also stipulated that such an establishment was against the Constitution and that a new law on the Corruption Court must be passed by December 2009. (hdt)