Indonesia's parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial corruption court bill that anti-graft watchdogs said was likely to undermine the fight against endemic corruption in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. Indonesia needs billions of dollars in domestic and foreign investment, but corruption, red tape and an unpredictable legal system all serve as deterrents.
The bill relaxed a previous rule on the composition of the panel of judges, dealing a blow to the court's independence. The court has had a 100 percent success rate due in part to the use of ad hoc judges and their majority on the panel. The panel of judges at the corruption court previously had to consist of two career judges and three ad hoc judges, helping ensure independence. Under the new law, the head of a district court or the supreme court can decide the panel's makeup.
"This will mean less independence in the corruption court and gives more power to the district court," said Adnan Topan Husodo of Indonesia Corruption Watch, an independent body, adding the group may file an appeal to the Constitutional Court. Husodo said that under the new law, suspects could easily bribe the head of a district court to get the judge they wanted. The judiciary is rated among Indonesia's most corrupt bodies. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which investigates and prosecutes suspects, and the corruption court, which tries them, have proved successful weapons in the fight against graft.
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