Zero tolerance for ‘judicial mafioso’: Cicak

(News Terupdate) - Four men with their faces covered lay on the steps to the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) office Tuesday, carrying large letters and a banner reading “Zero Tolerance against Judicial Mafioso”.

It was a silent protest against widespread practice of corruption in the country’s judiciary. The protesters were members of the antigraft movement, Cicak (Love Indonesia, Love KPK).

They demanded the KPK implement a zero-tolerance principal when dealing with judicial corruption, including cases allegedly committed by its prosecutors.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) coordinator Illian Deta Arta Sari said it was two weeks since
Cicak reported KPK director of prosecutions Ferry Wibisono to the commission for allegedly violating the KPK’s code of ethics, but “no significant development has been made on the case”.

Ferry has come under fire after he accompanied former deputy attorney general for intelligence Wisnu Subroto out of the KPK office following questioning recently.

Wisnu was questioned as a witness in an alleged attempt to bribe KPK officials. Businessman Anggodo Widjojo is said to be implicated in the case.

Instead of using the normal entrance, Ferry led Wisnu, his former colleague at the Attorney General’s Office, through a door restricted to KPK staff.

“Ferry giving Wisny Subroto such a privilege should not be seen as an aberrant incident. It should be connected to the main case, which is what Wisnu was questioned about. The KPK should realize that this cannot just be a slip, let alone a coincidence,” Cicak members said.

Protesters demanded the KPK fire Ferry from his post.

“If Ferry Wibisono is proven guilty, there should be no tolerance. And he should be given the harshest punishment: to be removed from the KPK.”

“If we look at the KPK’s code of ethics, it is clear that every violation should be punished and that [the KPK] applyy the zero-tolerance principal against any kind of violation. For this particular case, however, we still see [the KPK] being complacent,” Illian said.

She added that Ferry had violated an article in the 2006 KPK regulation that bans KPK employees from discriminating against visitors and from having contact with suspects or those being investigated by the KPK.

The KPK said it would question its staff over the incident. “We will request clarification from all parties involved,” KPK deputy chief Chandra Hamzah was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

Cicak members expressed fear the case would be settled behind closed doors.

“We are worried that the KPK will seek an informal solution to the case, which would set a negative precedent,” Illian said.

In a statement, Cicak members said the KPK had begun to adopt “traditional” means of solving graft cases.

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