KPK Highlights Judges' Inconsistency In The Gazalba Saleh Case: They Have Break Many Cases

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Nurul Ghufron highlighted the inconsistency of the Jakarta Corruption Court Panel of Judges which released Supreme Court Justice Gazalba Saleh from the money laundering charges.

This was conveyed by Ghufron when asked about the possibility of a criminal act in the decision. Although he did not answer firmly, he highlighted that this is the first time the judge has questioned the delegation from the Attorney General.

"That's what appears on the surface that there is an inconsistency that he has decided on many cases that I mentioned earlier, including two. Previously there were many, but now when the case of Pak Gazalba (KPK Prosecutor, ed) was declared not authorized," said Ghufron to reporters at the KPK's Red and White Building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Tuesday, May 28.

For information, the judges handling the Gazalba money laundering case were Fahzal Hendri, Rianto Adam Pontoh, and judge Ad Hoc Sukartono. Meanwhile, Fahzal and Rianto are judges in the case of extortion and gratification of former Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Ghufron said the judge's move to dispute that there was no letter from the Attorney General's delegation to the Director of Prosecution and the KPK Prosecutor was inappropriate. "This is not a civil forum, not a private justice forum," he said.

"But the criminal court at that time had to actively judge whether the defendant was the subject or the official in charge? That was the judge's job," continued Ghufron.

For this inconsistency, the KPK will appeal the decision of the Corruption Court Panel of Judges to release Gazalba to the Jakarta High Court (PT). Ghufron said the leadership and officials at the KPK had already held a meeting.

"We state that we do not agree or do not accept at the opinion of the judge who said that a delegation is needed," he said.

As previously reported, the Jakarta Corruption Court ordered the KPK to release Supreme Court Justice Gazalba Saleh in a trial held today, Monday, May 27. This order came after the exception submitted was granted.

"To try, one, grant a note of objection from the legal advisory team of the defendant Gazalba Saleh," said Panel of Judges Fahzal Hendri.

This exception was granted because the judge assessed that the prosecutor at the KPK had not received an appointment from the Attorney General. Thus, the indictment submitted cannot be accepted.

This decision then caused a strong reaction from the Deputy Chairperson of the KPK Alexander Marwata. He even asked the Supreme Court Supervisory Body (Bawas MA) and the Judicial Commission (KY) to examine the panel of judges at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court who tried the case.