Jakarta (ANTARA Jambi) - The arrest of Constitutional Court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar by Indonesia's main anti-graft agency (KPK) on Wednesday evening for alleged bribery, has shocked many high-ranking officials.
Regarded as the latest high-profile corruption case, the arrest saddened Muchtar's predecessor, Mahfud MD, who was reported to be unable to sleep last night after obtaining the information on the arrest of his colleague, who was caught red-handed by KPK while receiving a bribe of about US$260 thousand at his residence on Wednesday evening.
"I am really shocked at the report on the arrest of my colleague. How could he be trapped in a corruption case?" questioned Mahfud, as quoted by one of the national media. He also called the general secretary of the constitution court to verify the claim.
In a press conference, held after midnight on Thursday, spokesman for the agency, Johan Budi, said the alleged bribery is connected to a dispute surrounding the election for the district head of Gunung Mas in Central Kalimantan, a case handled by the Constitutional Court.
The bribe is believed to be linked to a regional election, in which a member of the parliament and three people were also arrested. One of Golkar Party's lawmakers, Chairun Nisa, was arrested.
Having captured Akil, KPK also arrested three other people at Akil¿s residence and two others in a hotel in Central Jakarta. The two people have been identified as Gunung Mas District Head Mas Hambit Bintih and DH, a businessman. The five are being investigated further.
Furthermore, Mahfud saw that the institution he ever chaired was trapped in a point of no return, whereas the image of the Constitutional Court was affected and no longer trusted by the people.
The people should be inspired to combat corruption, and since the constitutional court is likely to lose the trust of the people, Mahfud suggested dissolving the institution, as mentioned on his personal twitter page, on Thursday morning.
"I just want to reiterate that it's better to dissolve the constitutional court. But I could not do it as the establishment of the constitutional court is based on the constitution," he said.
"Nevertheless, after receiving the information, I could not sleep last night as my mind was preoccupied with this case and the fate of the constitutional court," he added.
This disdainful case, according to him, is indicative that people do not have trust in other institutions except KPK.
Indonesian House Speaker Marzuki Alie said he felt ashamed after hearing about the arrest of Akil Muchtar. Corruption has paralysed the constitutional court¿s image, which has had unlimited judicial power so far.
However, Marzuki said he and other legislators had conveyed bribery practices in the handling of disputes on regional elections at the constitutional court to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"For democracy, there is no such powerful institution. For example, the house has a certain institution in charge of controlling it, so do the government and the Supreme Court. In the meantime, there is no an institution in charge of controlling the Constitutional Court," he said.
In Marzuki's view, the only institution which has a final and binding decision without any supervision and correction from another agency is the Constitutional Court, which has unlimited judicial power.
For him, the arrest of Akil Muchtar by KPK was alleged to reduce disputes of regional election by making use of bribery, thus indicating that the judges at the institutions are not ready for the existing unlimited judicial power.
Furthermore, Marzuki said the House had tried to revise the law on the constitutional court, but it was abrogated by that institution.
To change the power of the constitutional court, according to him, it is important to revise the 1945 constitution. Otherwise, the constitutional court will have unlimited judicial power for which no institution will be able to correct it. The institution is like the God that has the power to issue final and binding decisions, he said.
Heri Budianto, an expert on political communication at Mercubuana University, was shocked at the news of the arrest.
He viewed Akil¿s arrest as a big blow to the credibility of the constitutional court, which is known for its cleanliness.
"Such a betrayal towards democracy is intolerable, as the case has actually damaged the order of democracy we have built thus far," he said on Thursday. However, the case is embarrassing, thus indicating that corruption has mushroomed in all institutions, as many of them easily succumb to corruption.
In such cases, the mafia always targets top officials of state institutions, he said, while hoping that the arrest will provide a gateway for unravelling other alleged bribery and collaboration practices at the constitution court.
"I hope that the KPK will not only investigate the case of Gunung Mas District, but also other cases related to the election of regional heads, submitted to the constitutional court, involving Akil," Heri said.
The constitutional court was established as a consequence of the third amendment to the constitution of Indonesia, which was ratified by the People¿s Consultative Assembly on November 9, 2001.
The institution was established to safeguard democracy and the constitution on the basis of the principle of rule of law and the constitutional rights of the people. The high profile performance of the constitutional court had transformed it into a respected institution in Indonesia.(Ant)
