SBY sets up team, likely to calm people

Mustaqim Adamrah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 11/02/2009 3:56 PM  |  Headlines

A fact-finding team established by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will likely serve only to calm mounting public anger over the controversial arrests of two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputies.

Prominent lawyer and team chairman Adnan Buyung Nasution said Monday the establishment of the team was in response to growing "mistrust" of the people.

"I ask citizens for their patience. Let us lower our temperature, given the President's quick response," he told reporters at the State Palace in a conference after a meeting.

Starting on Tuesday, the team will be working for two weeks, or more if required, according to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto.

Besides Adnan, the team will have former National Commission of Human Rights member Kusparmono Irsan as deputy chairman and the President's special staffer on legal affairs Denny Indrayana as secretary.

The team will consist of five members, namely prominent human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan, Democratic Party (PD) executive Amir Syamsuddin,  Islamic State University rector Komarudin Hidayat and University of Indonesia law professor Hikmahanto Juwana.

The meeting was a follow-up to a previous meeting late on Sunday, in which Anies, Komarudin, Hikmahanto and Transparency International secretary-general Teten Masduki were summoned by the President.

The previous meeting gave the President three recommendations: case exposure, set up a fact-finding team, or ask National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri for transparency in any legal proceedings against suspended KPK deputy chiefs Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Slamet Rianto.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.