J

AKARTA: Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana made an apology on Monday for his comments on microblogging site Twitter that equated advocates who defend corruptors with the corruptors.

Denny said that he did not mean to offend the legal profession but criticized those who defend corruptors for money.

“I apologize to any ‘clean lawyers’ who do their jobs in accordance with existing law and regulations, and uphold the code of ethics,” he said, adding that he also asked the public to keep supporting him to fight against corruption.

Denny formerly tweeted, “Lawyers of corruptors are corruptors, the ones who defend blindly and those who shamelessly accept payments from criminals,” in his account @dennyindrayana on Independence Day on Aug. 17.

Some parties considered his statement insulting to the legal profession.

OC Kaligis, who often handles corruption cases, filed a report with the Jakarta police last Thursday against Denny.

Denny said that he accepted the report and would face the process. “It is part of my struggle,” he said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Yusril Ihza Mahendra preferred to comment on Denny’s statement through his twitter account @Yusrilihza_Mhd, saying, “Lawyers who defend corruptors are corruptors. Judges who free corruptors are corruptors. A president who grants clemency to corruptors is a corruptor. Great!”

Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin did not attach any blame to Denny’s statement.

“What Denny said was part of a discourse; if people don’t agree with his statement, they have to reply to it with other discourse,” he said on Monday, adding that the case was too petty to be handled by law enforcement.