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PD lawmaker challenges KY to prove bribery claim
Democratic Party (PD) lawmaker Dasrul Djabar denied on Tuesday an allegation he had tried to bribe the Judicial Commission (KY) to help a candidate during last yearâs Supreme Court justice selection
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emocratic Party (PD) lawmaker Dasrul Djabar denied on Tuesday an allegation he had tried to bribe the Judicial Commission (KY) to help a candidate during last year's Supreme Court justice selection.
The allegation emerged on Tuesday after the commission announced last week that a PD lawmaker from the House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing legal affairs had attempted to bribe its members, without naming anyone.
'It's all nonsense. It's all political,' Dasrul told reporters. 'The KY should have clarified the source of information. Reveal the details if it is true.'
The House is slated to summon Dasrul for questioning along with KY member Imam Anshori Saleh, who first made the claim that a lawmaker was trying to bribe the commission, which is tasked with selecting Supreme Court justices.
Imam claimed he was once invited by 'a lawmaker' for a lunch in 2011, during which the latter offered Rp 1.4 billion (US$123,200) to seven commission members in return for their endorsement of a certain justice candidate.
The decision whether to reveal the name of the lawmaker was in the hands of Imam, said KY chairman Suparman Marzuki.
He agreed Imam should reveal it to the House's ethics council to clarify the matter, although Suparman later said the incident had never compromised his office.
'If we have strong data, we will report it to the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission],' he added.
Dasrul's incident was brought to light following a recent alleged bribe attempt involving a Supreme Court justice candidate, Sudrajad Dimyati, and Commission III lawmaker from the National Awakening Party (PKB) Bachruddin Nashori, in a toilet during a recent fit-and-proper test process.
Sudrajad has failed in his bid to net the position following the alleged back room deal. 'We regretted the alleged incident although he was one of 12 candidates we believed worthy of being a justice,' Suparman added.
The House's ethics council also plans to question Bachruddin, Sudrajad and the reporter, in separate meetings later this week. 'It's a serious allegation so we need to carefully examine the matter,' ethics council deputy chairman Siswono Yudhohusodo said.
Four former justice candidates and legal activists are also seeking to scrap the House's role in the justice selection process, demanding that the Constitutional Court annul articles that give the House the authority to select justices.
